Williamson County declines HUD HOME allocation citing staffing, compliance costs

Sally Bardwell, community development manager, told the Commissioners Court the county should decline the HOME Investment Partnerships allocation the county received from HUD because participation requires establishing an ongoing program with significant staffing, compliance oversight and administration.

Bardwell said the federal program requires meeting a $750,000 threshold that would obligate an estimated $26,000 of county investment to access the allocation; she also told the court she had discussed the option of the state releasing funds to a county but that HUD staff said they had no record of the state ever doing so. “Given these constraints I think that it's in the best interest that we deny these funds at this time and we can revisit next year,” Bardwell said.

Commissioner Covey moved to decline the allocation and the court approved the recommendation 4–0. Bardwell and commissioners said the county can reconsider participation when allocations change or administrative capacity increases.

The court’s action declines the specific HUD HOME allocation listed on the agenda; any future participation would require the county to establish the program administration the transcript identified as necessary.