Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Federal Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Legislative consultants brief Roanoke on continuing resolutions, CDBG changes and 'Road to Housing' law
Summary
Federal consultants told Roanoke officials that recent congressional continuing-resolution texts could delay an OMB grants rule, and they summarized the new 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which allows up to 20% of future CDBG allocations to be used for building affordable housing.
The Roanoke City Legislative Committee received a federal update Aug. 3 from consultants Clayton Cox and Scott Binkley detailing a patchwork of continuing resolutions and early signals about FY2027 appropriations. Cox said the House left town for August recess after passing a continuing resolution through Dec. 4, while the Senate released a different CR covering through Dec. 11 that, if enacted, could include a provision delaying an OMB proposed rule related to federal grants.
Binkley highlighted a newly enacted housing law, saying: "The 21st Century Road to Housing Act is the largest piece of housing legislation in a generation." He explained the law is moving into implementation and noted one concrete local effect: the legislation allows up to 20% of a locality's future Community Development Block Grant allocation to be used for new affordable housing construction — potentially converting a portion of Roanoke's recent CDBG allocation (about $1.8 million) into roughly $365,000 for housing under the new rules. The committee discussed a planned federal site visit in the week of Sept. 7 and a timeline to finalize the legislative agenda for council review in September and an anticipated October vote.
