Public hearing tonight on how Charlottesville will use federal funds from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Under the new Development Code, the Charlottesville Planning Commission will not hold as many public hearings as it did before. There is one on the agenda for their May 14 meeting. 

“The Planning Commission will be considering projects to be undertaken as part of the proposed [Program Year] 2024 -25 Annual Action Plan for the [Community Development Block Grant] and HOME programs,” reads the staff report.

A city task force makes recommendations on what to spend the funding on. 

“The Taskforce reviewed seventeen (17) requests for funding, fourteen (14) for funding through CDBG and three (3) through HOME,” reads the staff report. “Total new requests for funding for both programs amounted to $1,224,986.”

However, there’s only $438,617 in CDBG funding available according to recently published allocations. Those numbers weren’t available when the staff report was written so the figures offered will be adjusted but perhaps not in time for the planning commission.(read that story)

These numbers will change but the staff report lists the following recommendations.

• $19,542.72 for the Community Investment Collaborative for entrepreneurial program
• $70,353.79 to fund an economic opportunity coordinator for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority 
• $16,000 for the International Rescue Committee for a “financial capabilities program”
• $7,750 for PACEM to cover some of the costs of transporting people to shelters
• $15,000 for Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville / Albemarle for a Beginning Level Workforce Development Program 
• $25,000 to the Public Housing Association of Residents to pay for community engagement related to “resident-involved redevelopment
• $18,353.49 for Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority for a Housing Stability Program to cover the cost of some tenants to pay rent
• $41,308.35 for a homeownership program to be run by the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority
• $50,308.35 for a Habitat for Humanity project on 6 ½ Street SW in Charlottesville

On the consent agenda, the Planning Commission will technically approve the site plan for the second phase of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s redevelopment of South First Street. 

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the May 13, 2024 Week Ahead edition of the newsletter.