Title
a. Hold a workshop on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Act (HOME) application rating and ranking criteria; and,
b. Provide direction to staff.
Body
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Urban County Standing Committee:
a. Hold a workshop on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Act (HOME) application rating and ranking criteria; and,
b. Provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND:
During the Urban County’s March 26, 2026, review of the draft 2026-2027 CDBG and HOME Annual Action Plan, the Committee expressed a desire to more closely link federal funding with the County’s strategic priorities and plans. The purpose of this workshop is to explore ways that the County’s CDBG and HOME applications and the subsequent rating and ranking process can be changed to better integrate these funding programs into supporting the County’s strategic goals and plans. This goal of this workshop is to solicit input from the Committee and broader community about how the application could be modified to help the County better use its limited CDBG funding to meet the County’s many community development and public service needs.
DISCUSSION:
Attachment 1 is a list of the current CDBG priorities from the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan. These priorities are the areas where the County has identified a need and plans to use CDBG and HOME funds to address those needs. Attachment B is a screenshot of the current application that the County uses to solicit project proposals for CDBG and HOME funding. The County uses City Data Services as its public facing grants management system (GMS). The GMS allows applicants to submit applications, submit grant reports, and grant draw requests. The GMS supports preparation of the subrecipient agreements by merging information from the application into the subrecipient agreement template approved annually by the Board of Supervisors. The cities of Monterey, Salinas, and Seaside also use City Data Services to manage their CDBG application and reporting. Because the CDS database architecture is becoming dated, it has limited functionality and ability to be update the application. The County is currently soliciting proposals for a new GMS that will should provide more opportunities to customize the application and better support links with a broader range of strategic plans. Attachments 4 and 5 represent the current scoring instructions used by County and City staff when conducting the initial review of applications.
Attachment 5 takes a little deeper look at County funding for housing and public service activities where the CDBG and HOME programs usually have their greatest impact. Annually the County receives at least $233,000,000 for affordable housing, community development, homeless programs, behavioral health, public health, and social services. CDBG and HOME funds account for less than 0.75 percent of the funds available for these activities.
Attachments 6 includes information on the more than 90 major county plans and programs that have been prepared by the County, partner agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Plans that address community development, housing, and homelessness; affordable housing; behavioral health and special needs populations; and public health and human services have the best alignment with the Urban County’s Consolidated Plan. Strategic plans and programs in these classes account for two-thirds of the identified strategic plans and programs, making it challenging to identify specific opportunities. The ineligible projects are clustered around climate resilience and environmental planning; land use planning; public safety and emergency services; and transportation and infrastructure initiatives.
Prepared by: Darby Marshall, Housing Program Manager, x 5391
Approved by: Craig W. Spencer, Director of Housing and Community Development
Attachments:
Attachment A - CDBG Priorities
Attachment B - Current County CDBG Application
Attachment C - CDBG HOME Rating and Ranking Criteria
Attachment D - CDBG HOME Scoring Workbook
Attachment E - Major County Plans and Programs
Attachment F - Housing and Public Service Funding Summary