Seaside council adopts homeless commission CDBG funding plan, directs contingency to city streets

The Seaside City Council accepted the homeless commission’s Community Development Block Grant funding recommendation on March 19, approving a hybrid allocation method and directing that any necessary funding reductions come first from the ADA curb-ramp project rather than city street-priority programs.

Senior administrative analyst Harun Nouri summarized the two-year CDBG cycle, telling the council the city received nine public service applications and four public facility/infrastructure applications and that HUD’s final allocation had not yet been announced. Nouri said staff estimates roughly $581,000 for fiscal year 2026–27 and about $500,000 for 2027–28, and reminded the council that HUD limits public services to 15% of entitlement and planning/administration to 20%.

The homeless commission recommended a hybrid approach that allocates fixed maximum funding to the two highest-scoring public-service programs ($12,000 per year) and distributes the remaining public-service funding proportionally by application score. The commission also recommended fully funding the requested amounts for three facility and infrastructure projects—the Boys & Girls Club clubhouse improvements, Seaside Public Works ADA curb ramps, and facility upgrades at Genesis House and the Meals on Wheels community kitchen—while including a contingency plan in case HUD’s final allocation is lower than staff’s estimate.

Council members debated whether to alter the commission’s recommendation, with several stressing the fairness of the commission’s competitive scoring process and others urging the council to prioritize certain city infrastructure needs. Mayor Pro Tem Dave Pacheco moved to approve the homeless commission’s recommendations with one adjustment: if the final HUD allocation falls short, the city should apply any necessary reductions first to the ADA curb-ramp project rather than to other city-priority programs or to the Boys & Girls Club allocation. The motion passed on a voice vote.

Speakers during the public-comment period included leaders and applicants who described the application process as rigorous and fair and urged continued support for local homeless services and housing-related programs.

Next steps: staff will prepare an annual action plan for the CDBG program, release it for a 30-day public review period, and return to council after HUD finalizes the entitlement amount. Under HUD rules the annual action plan must be submitted by May 15 or within 60 days of the allocation announcement.