The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires an annual Action Plan that outlines how CDBG and HOME resources will be utilized. This document includes information regarding funds available, the prioritization process, and recommended awards and projects. The draft 2023 Action Plan was made available 30 days prior to the May 8, 2023, public hearing at www.cityofvancouver.us/cdbg. City Council and public feedback on recommended funding is welcomed and encouraged prior to plan finalization and submittal.
CDBG and HOME awards must be consistent with goals and objectives outlined in the City’s 2019-2023 Five-year Consolidated Plan. Goals include:
- Affordable Housing: Increase and preserve affordable housing opportunity for low-income households and people experiencing homelessness.
- Public Services: Reduce poverty, increase stability, and prevent and address homelessness for individuals and families. Where possible, support existing City and community initiatives.
- Economic Development: Increase economic opportunity by supporting small businesses.
- Public Facilities and Infrastructure: Create and preserve buildings and spaces that serve the public.
The City of Vancouver allocates the majority of its CDBG and HOME funding to community partners through an annual competitive application process. A public hearing for City Council to adopt the 2023 Action Plan, which includes the proposed projects and award amounts, is scheduled for May 8, 2023.
2023 Funding Available
Funds available for program year 2023 are listed below. Available funds are subject to change based on entitlement funds from previous years and program income received.
CDBG funding
2023 Entitlement Funds $1,392,021
Anticipated program income $ 120,000
Unspent entitlement (previous years) $ 141,337
TOTAL $1,653,358
HOME funding
2023 Entitlement Funds $ 791,895
Unspent entitlement (previous years) $ 318,251
TOTAL $1,110,146
HOME ARP funding
Entitlement funds (for 6 years) $2,496,110
2023 ESTIMATED SPENDING $ 727,904
Application and Prioritization Process
The annual application process began in October 2022. Staff invited interested parties to attend a workshop explaining the application process. Applicants submitted preapplications online through ZoomGrants. City staff advanced 36 applications with funding requests totaling just over $6 million.
The review committee, composed of community representatives and City staff , completed the application review process. The committee read applications, viewed applicant presentations, scored and prioritized the projects and suggested funding options. This year, the committee’s awarded points were increased and objective scoring was decreased, giving the committee more influence on which applications were granted funding.
The average score for each application guided the prioritization of awards. Scoring factors included:
- Clearly defined scope, goals and outcomes
- Community needs
- Community impact
- Readiness to move forward
- Long-term financial viability
- Demonstrated equitable practices and outcomes
- Community partnerships and collaboration
- Cost benefit – people/households served and committed match funding
- Objective risk assessment score
- Additional points for projects that address homelessness needs
Staff then met with the committee to go over funding proposals. A full list of recommended projects and proposed funding is included in the Action Plan.
2023 Funding Recommendations – CDBG
Funding recommendations support the following priorities:
- Public services: Programs serving youth programs, youth who are experiencing homelessness, transitional housing services, community outreach events and eviction mediation services.
- Public facilities: Construction and rehabilitation of a behavioral health care facility.
- Economic development: Technical assistance for microenterprises and people starting new businesses.
- Housing services: Case management to help households find or maintain rental housing; paired with HOME-funded rental assistance.
- City Housing Rehab Set-aside: Low-interest loans to homeowners to assist with home repairs that address health, safety and livability issues.
- Administration: Staff and administrative costs to carry out the CDBG program and projects. The amount of CDBG funding that may be used for administration is capped by federal guidelines.
2023 Funding Recommendations – HOME
Funding recommendations for HOME awards support the following priorities:
- Rental assistance: Assistance with security deposits, rent and utilities to help households experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness afford housing. Paired with CDBG-funded housing services.
- Housing projects: Single-family home acquisition assistance for first-time buyers and new affordable rental housing. HUD requires 15% of each year’s HOME entitlement to be set aside for an eligible Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO). No CHDO applications were submitted in 2022, so this was carried forward. One 2023 CHDO application was received for multifamily acquisitions, this was recommended for funding with both 2022 and 2023 CHDO set-aside.
- Unallocated Funding: These funds will be awarded as needed. If funds are unspent in 2023, they will be allocated to future projects.
- Administration: Staff and administrative costs to carry out the HOME program and projects. The amount of HOME funding that may be used for administration is capped by federal guidelines.
2023 Funding recommendations - HOME-ARP
The HOME-ARP Plan was reviewed by the public and City Council, but has not yet been approved by HUD. When approved, HOME-ARP funding will need to be expended within 6 years. HOME-ARP applications were accepted as part of the 2023 process in anticipation of the HOME-ARP Plan approval. Funding recommendations for HOME-ARP awards support the following services for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, per HOME-ARP rules.
- Housing Services: Supporting households who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless through navigating the criminal justice system, outreach, and rental assistance.
- Outreach: Supporting households who are experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable populations through outreach in the community.
- Administration: Staff and administrative costs to carry out the HOME-ARP program and projects. The HOME-ARP funding used for administration is capped by federal guidelines at 15% over 6 years. The admin costs are estimated to be spent in four years.