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Mission Viejo commission forwards 2025–26 CDBG public-service grant recommendations amid likely federal cuts
Summary
The Community Services Commission recommended staff's slate of public-service allocations to the Planning & Transportation Commission, advising that awards be adjusted uniformly once federal CDBG funding for 2025–26 is finalized. Staff projected $51,750 for public services from an estimated $345,000 grant.
The Mission Viejo Community Services Commission voted unanimously to forward staff recommendations for fiscal year 2025–26 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public-service awards to the Planning & Transportation Commission.
Mike Linnares, the city's CDBG consultant, told commissioners the city is using a conservative working figure of about $345,000 for next year's federal grant and that HUD rules generally cap public-service spending at 15 percent of the annual allocation. "We were projecting at this point in time a grant of $345,000... $51,750 to be available for public service grants," Linnares said, noting the estimate reflects recent federal budget uncertainty.
Linnares said the city received seven applications requesting roughly $102,000 — about $50,000 more than staff expects to have available — and that staff used an established scoring rubric to rank requests and recommend allocations. He asked the commission to include a caveat allowing staff to increase or decrease awards by a uniform percentage after final federal numbers are announced and to ensure no applicant receive more than it requested if additional funds become available.
During questioning, commissioners pressed for details on how volunteer in-kind values and per-client costs were calculated and whether any new applicants had applied. Staff said six of the seven applicants already receive community-service funding and reiterated that the 15 percent cap limits the total available for public services; the commission's recommendation therefore focuses on distributing scarce funds across homelessness prevention, senior services and disability support programs.
Commissioner (speaker 8) moved to send the Table 1 recommendations to the Planning & Transportation Commission with the adjustment caveat; the motion was seconded and passed 7–0. The Planning & Transportation Commission will hold a public hearing in April and forward a recommendation to city council prior to the federal application deadline in mid-May.
Next steps: the commission's recommendation will be part of an action plan reviewed by the Planning & Transportation Commission in April and then considered by the City Council in May once HUD releases its final allocation.
