Public Comment Period: November 27, 2024- January 2, 2025
The City of Ashland’s Annual CDBG Action Plan details the communities funding strategy to expend Community Development Block Grant funds each year. The plan implements the goals of the City’s five-year Consolidated Plan by funding allocations to specific activities that advance these goals and are developed through significant public input, analysis, and planning.
Title 24 Section 91.505 of the Code of Federal Regulations stipulates that communities shall amend their approved plans whenever they make one or more of the following decisions:
- To make a change in its allocation priorities or change in the method of distribution of funds:
- To carry out an activity, using funds from any program covered by the Consolidated Plan (including program income) not previously described in the action plan; or
- To change the purpose, scope, location, or beneficiaries of an activity.
The regulation further requires that jurisdictions identify in their Citizen Participation Plan the criteria they will use for determining what constitutes a substantial amendment. The City’s Consolidated Plan for the use of CDBG funding identifies what thresholds constitute a substantial amendment and requires a 30-day public notice with a public hearing for review and approval before the Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee. Consistent with these requirements the City has identified two criteria that will require a substantial amendment:
- A change in the use of CDBG funds from one activity to another eligible use not previously included in the 2024 Action Plan.
- A change in the method of distribution of funds.
Content of the Substantial Amendment
With this Substantial Amendment, the City is proposing to reallocate $112,112.00 in Community Development Block Grant Funds from a provisional allocation to Sunstone Housing Collective, to public facilities improvements to a City owned emergency shelter located at 2200 Ashland Street. The reallocation is necessary to remain timely in the expenditure of CDBG funding and to complete needed improvements, including the installation of a sprinkler system, fire egress modifications and the laundry, shower and additional restroom facilities at the 2200 Ashland street shelter.
Furthermore, the City will be retaining the Capital Improvement portion of the 2025 CDBG allocation which will be used to cover any remaining costs of the above-mentioned improvements at the shelter located at 2200 Ashland Street. The City will, however, issue a request for proposals for the 15% set aside for Public Services activities, along with a request for proposals for City owned land intended to be developed as affordable housing targeting 80% of the Area Median Income or below, as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Public Comment Period and Public Hearing
Public comments are encouraged and can be submitted in person or in writing to Linda Reid, Housing Program Manager at linda.reid@ashland.or.us The Amended CDBG Action Plan shall be available for review on the City’s website or in hard copy by request.
Public Comment on the amended 2024 CDBG Action Plan can be submitted any time prior to January 2, 2025, or be presented to the Ashland Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee at a public hearing on the Action Plan amendment on January 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM in the Siskiyou Room of the Community Development and Engineering Building located at 51 Winburn Way.
