SALISBURY — Planning and Neighborhoods Director Hannah Jacobson and City Planner Malikia Cherubala gave a presentation to the Salisbury City Council at its Feb. 20 meeting about the upcoming 2024-2025 Community Development Block Grant program that is going to last from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. 

Every year, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development gives Salisbury financial aid to “increase the supply of decent, safe, sanitary and affordable housing within the city’s communities and to support the programs that are designed to assist low and moderate income families and individuals while stimulating and fostering economic growth,” according to the city’s website.

For the 2024-2025 program, Cherubala said the city is expected to get $305,000 as part of the CDBG funds, $200,000 through Salisbury’s involvement in the Cabarrus/Iredell/Rowan HOME Consortium, and $30,000 of program income. 

Consolidated plan goals over the past five years make up the activities in the current action plan. These can include an increase in adequate affordable housing, upgrade public facilities and infrastructure, supply opportunities for homeownership, supply assistance for public service agencies, advocate for business growth and a “robust” workforce, further develop fair housing, as well as plan and administer the programs themselves. 

During the meeting, public hearings were held regarding two amendments from previous years’ action plans. The first amendment is from the 2022-2023 action plan where a “cancellation of projects” means extra money can go towards extending the Memorial Park Greenway to Best Street which originally cost $60,000, but will need an additional $45,000 to finish. 

“Should this amendment be supported, it would provide for this project to be paid in full using CDBG,” Cherubala said.

The second amendment is from the 2020-2021 action plan, where the remaining $60,000 of the city’s CDBG-CV funds is to be reallocated from the Small Business Assistance program to Homelessness Prevention Coordination. 

The 30-day public comment period for both amendments end on Mar. 11.

Cherubala said the city gives around 15 percent of the “total allocation” to non-profit entities who “support low and moderate income individuals and families.” Recently, the supplemental CARE Act funds has let Salisbury contribute funding to “more agencies than this year’s budget will allow.” Cherubala explained the planning department will now need to “reevaluate the application process” by dispersing a survey to decide on “focus areas.”

“Do we want to fund public service agencies that tend more to food security, child care, senior care, homelessness? Until those priorities have been determined we will be postponing the application process for our public service agencies,” Cherubala said. 

On Mar. 19, city staff will present the first draft of the action plan to the city council and that is going to be followed by a 30-day public comment period ending on Apr. 19. On Apr. 1, a public input meeting will take place and on May 7, the city council can potentially approve the final draft of the plan. Public service agencies will then be able to apply for funding around that same time.