The city of National City held the first of two public hearings on the 2021-22 Department of Housing and Urban Development Annual Action Plan and funding recommendations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs and HOME investment partnerships.
Those plans represent a combined amount of federal dollars available for National City to improve public services and community development.
Director of the National City Housing Authority Carlos Aguirre said the city will be receiving approximately $785,000 funding for CDBG projects.
The CDBG program, federally funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, provides annual grants to develop decent housing and expand economic opportunities in urban communities for low and moderate-income residents.
Aguirre also said the city will be receiving about $516,000 for HOME projects. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program, also federally funded, specifically provides grants to state and local governments to create affordable housing for low-income households.
Housing Programs Manager Angelita Palma presented staff recommendations during the public hearing, a breakdown of which agencies might receive funding under the proposed plan.
Staff recommended CDBG funding be distributed to public services as: $20,000 for the Community Services Casa de Salud Youth Afterschool program, $43,000 for the Literacy Services at the National City public library, and $19,000 for National City Police Department Domestic Violence Response Team.
Staff also recommended CDBG funding be distributed to non-public Services and Administration such as: $556,892 for a loan payment on Fire Station 34, $105,678 to National City Housing Authority for CDBG program administration, and $41,000 to San Diego County public welfare non-profit CSA for fair housing and tenant-landlord education.
Palma cautioned that the loan due for Fire Station 34 increases slightly each year and is expected to eat up the entire non-public service funding allocation in 2022 and 2023, but should be paid off in 2024.
HOME funding recommendations for non-public services were: $415,116 for South Bay Community Services tenant based rental assistance programs and $49,248 for National City Housing Authority community housing organization development; $51,596 was recommended for HOME program program administration through National City Housing Authority.
If the action plan as laid out is approved by Housing and Urban development, applicants would receive their award notifications sometime in May.
No public comments were issued during the hearing.
The proposed plan is open for a 30-day public review period from March 19 to April 18.
The second and final public hearing on these federally funded programs is scheduled for May 4 and can be accessed at www.nationalcityca.gov for live viewing and public comments.
