Evanston panel approves staff flexibility to apply CDBG dollars to public services

The Evanston Social Services Committee on April 9 approved a staff request to give city staff flexibility to apply portions of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to public service programs, officials said.

Staff told the committee the change would not alter any individual award amounts or the overall allocation; rather, it would allow staff to shift CDBG dollars to case-management and safety-net public service programs, and to eligible new programs in the near term, to meet HUD timeliness requirements once federal grant agreements arrive. Staff said HUD award documents and access to funds typically arrive later in the year and create a short spending window for which the city must plan.

"This staff would just give us flexibility and allow us to balance any risk management for our CDBG grant," a staff presenter said, adding that the intent is both to expend awarded federal dollars and to preserve the ability to test innovative programs.

Committee members raised how federal and local funding would interact. Diane Goldry asked whether shifting a CDBG allocation (she cited $254,350 in CDBG funds in discussion) would displace local dollars. Staff replied that local dollars are generally easier for agencies to spend and said the city could braid local funds with federal funding to provide flexibility; any proposed use of funds would return to the Social Services Committee and City Council for authorization.

A committee member moved to adopt the staff recommendation to use CDBG funds for public services; the motion was seconded and carried on a roll-call vote with all members present voting in favor. The committee directed staff to continue following usual approval processes for specific program funding decisions.

The vote clears the way for staff to manage CDBG expenditures to meet HUD timeliness tests and to consider new eligible public service programs while preserving previously approved allocations. Staff said they will return to the committee with specific program proposals and any allocations requiring committee or council approval.