The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) notified the City of Yakima that the City would be receiving supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) funding under the CARES Act to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus on April 2, 2020 ($602,216) and April 6, 2021 ($618,993). Yakima City Council accepted the CDBG-CV funds and approved Substantial Amendments to its 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, as required by HUD to receive and commit the funds, on July 7, 2020, and July 6, 2021, respectively.

The proposed changes outlined in this Substantial Amendment include no new CDBG-CV funds but reallocates $130,000 in unspent CDBG-CV funds to address the continued need to update the HVAC systems at City-owned community centers. The changes also help ensure the timely expenditure of funds to meet HUD’s deadline for spending 80% of CDBG-CV funds.

The proposed Substantial Amendments may also authorize additional changes, including flexibilities, waivers, and suspensions of regulations/requirements approved by HUD that were not specifically identified but will be required to make the changes.

As required by HUD, Public Notice was published on December 24, 2023. The draft Substantial Amendments were available for review on the City’s website on December 26, 2023, and the legal ad was published on December 24, 2023, in the Yakima Herald-Republic (English) and December 29, 2023, in El Sol (Spanish). Written comments on the Substantial Amendments are accepted until 5:00 pm on Friday, January 26, 2024. Please send written comments via email to Rosylen Oglesby at rosylen.oglesby@yakimawa.gov. Comments received through January 26, 2024, will be included in the submission to HUD.

Proposed CDBG-CV Amendments:

1. Under Goal: CDBG-CV Public Facility/Infrastructure Improvements, increase the total amount of funding by $130,000 (from $260,000 to $390,000). The fund’s installation of HVAC air scrubbers is in accordance with HUD regulations concerning the CDBG-CV regulations to prepare for, prevent, or respond to the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Under Goal: CDBG-CV General Administration, decrease the total amount of funding by $130,000(from$180,597.61 to $50,597.61). HUD allows up to 20% (CV-1 $120,616; CV-3 $123,798) of the CDBG-CV allocations to be used for grants administration.