Uncertainty persists around the Community Development Block Grant

The Planning Department on Monday released the first draft of the latest Consolidated Plan for the Community Development Block Grant, a federal grant that funds a variety of community development and housing projects that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income individuals.

To receive funding, municipalities must submit a five-year Consolidated Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that explains how they intend to use the grant money.

According to the draft, the Planning Department projects that Waltham will receive $871,572 for the next fiscal year, but Frank Nakashian, the city’s principal planner, said that this amount is just a placeholder for a real number from HUD.

The grant totals that have flowed to Waltham have varied from year to year. In fiscal 2021-2022, Waltham received $978,390, while last fiscal year the city received $871,572. 

Similarly, Waltham has used CDBG funds for a variety of projects in the past. For fiscal 2023-2024, the Waltham Boys & Girls Club received $100,000 for upkeep of its HVAC system at its pool. That same fiscal year Waltham gave the nonprofit Work, Community and Independence more than $61,000 for expansion of its accessible ramp.

Both the city and local nonprofits can tap into this grant, provided that the money funds projects that meet HUD’s long list of eligibility requirements. A list of projected allocation amounts for CDBG-funded projects starts on page 72 of the draft.

During a public meeting last Wednesday, Nakashian explained that the final versions of these numbers are contingent on HUD’s formula and the federal government’s budget for HUD.

Nakashian said that HUD determines the amount of money each municipality gets based on the number of people in poverty, the amount of housing stock built before 1940, population growth in the area and the number of overcrowded housing units.

Nationwide, the status of federal departments and their budgets became unclear after President Donald Trump attempted a widespread freeze in federal funding in late January.

“So we’re just kind of operating under uncertainty,” said Nakashian.

Residents identify needs 

Although the draft provided no definitive answers in terms of upcoming project budgets, it did provide insight into how the public thought these funds should be used.

As a part of developing the Consolidated Plan, the Planning Department asked the public to list various unmet needs in the community that they thought the city should address with CDBG funding over the next five years.

The Planning Department received 168 responses from the public since releasing a survey in December. Affordable housing and  public transportation along with mental health and homelessness services were listed as respondents’ top priorities. 

“The City of Waltham has been in dire need of fair, subsidized family housing units,” wrote one respondent, who believed there is a lack of accessible options for low-income families.

Two survey participants expressed concern over a lack of access to public transportation in North Waltham.

Another respondent cited the need for more social services help, writing “There aren’t enough beds in the city in the winter. There is a social worker from the WPD who gives a few hours a week of free consultation at the library, but the demand is high.”

Ultimately, residents, nonprofits and the city won’t receive real answers surrounding CDBG funding until after the federal budget is passed and HUD releases its budget for the CDBG program.

The public will have until April 30 to submit comments to the Planning Department on the draft. After that period, the Department will submit its finalized Consolidated Plan to the federal government for review.