Equity Commission hears limits on CDBG programming: scholarships, workforce training capped at 15%

Emily Baron said federal CDBG rules limit non-infrastructure programming to 15 percent of an entitlement in a given year, which constrains local spending on scholarships, senior programs and workforce initiatives. "And then the balance of our programs, the youth scholarship, senior scholarships, and workforce housing are limited to 15% of your dollars," Baron said.

Baron described current proposals within that limit: $10,000 for recreation scholarships covering up to $200 per qualifying household per year (often used for summer camp), continued partnership with Workforce Solutions to pay for eligible residents' training courses, and approximately $5,000 for administration and required public-notice publications. She said program uptake varied post-COVID and staff is adjusting outreach to meet eligible households where they are.

Commissioners asked about outreach tactics; Baron said staff is working with the school district, communications team, parks staff and the library to raise awareness. She noted the city has used Community Impact and local partners for targeted outreach to block groups that qualify for CDBG dollars.