OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Janesville CDA Meeting Reviews 2027 CDBG and HOME Funding Proposals – August 19, 2026

Meeting Portal — Wednesday, August 19, 2026
BodyJanesville, Wisconsin
SessionMeeting Portal
DateWednesday, August 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:03:17

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

We can get started roll call.

0:07

Michael Coss.

0:08

Here.

0:09

Change Seaman.

0:11

Jennifer Anderson.

0:13

Lisa Higgins.

0:14

Here.

0:15

Scott Greenland.

0:16

Here.

0:17

Max Ryan.

0:18

Here.

0:19

Danielle Williams.

0:21

Here.

0:23

We're all here.

0:26

First order to approve the minutes.

0:31

I need a motion to approve.

0:33

Do those fall under consent?

0:36

Okay.

0:42

So with the budget performance as well.

0:45

Yes.

0:45

Okay.

0:49

All right.

0:50

So is there anyone want to pull either of those out for com or for questions or comments?

0:57

Or we go to move to approve under consent.

1:02

All right.

1:05

They just go.

1:07

Approved under consent.

1:08

Approved on a consent.

1:09

Sorry.

1:09

I'm this last one.

1:10

It's been a while.

1:11

All right.

1:13

Now request for comments from the public regarding items on the agenda not requiring a public hearing and on matters which can be affected by CDA action.

1:24

So is anyone, I don't see anyone in the audience for that.

1:27

I think everyone here is for the grant programs.

1:32

Okay.

1:33

So moving on, we'll get to um agenda item number five.

1:38

Kelly, you want to start?

1:40

Yeah, so I've mentioned to a couple of of uh the CDA members tonight.

1:45

This is my favorite meeting of the year because we get to hear about all the great things that are our local nonprofits do.

1:50

Um next week's meeting is my least favorite because you have to make hard decisions.

1:54

So tonight you get to hear all of the great things that these these folks do, um, and next week we make the hard financial decisions.

2:03

Um so what you'll hear is is three separate um groups of presentations tonight.

2:10

Your first is going to be CDBG.

2:12

Um CDBG is our public service funds.

2:15

Those are capped at 15% of our grant plus 15% of our program income.

2:22

So what we are estimating for next year, and that's always an estimate because we have no idea what HUD is going to be doing, is $80,000 for 2027.

2:32

If you look at the applications, we have 142,000 in applications.

2:36

So that's where I talk about the the hard decisions coming into play.

2:41

Um for home funds, it's a little bit different, and you'll you'll hear a couple different presentations, and we can talk more in depth next week when we make decisions.

2:50

Um X housing is coming forward with an application, just kind of happened to fall during this meeting, but they're actually applying for 2026 funds.

3:01

So if you award those funds, they can be utilized immediately.

3:07

Whereas um Habitat is applying for 2027 funds because they already have a pool a pool of 2026 funds.

3:15

So a little bit different this year, it just happened that they all kind of fell together, which is great.

3:23

With that, we will be working on our budget, and you will see those budget numbers next um next session, so next week, um, to make sure that we can make this all fit, and that is our ultimate goal is to make all of the projects work with the home funds that we currently have.

3:41

Um there is a caveat that um habitat also has applied for Coto funds, Cho is a little bit different.

3:48

That's community housing development organization.

3:51

There is a requirement from HUD that we utilize at least 15%.

3:58

So while C DBG is a cap at the 15% plus 15%, home is a requirement at a minimum of 15%, has to go to a CHOTO to do uh new construction.

4:09

So habitat will go through their presentation for those CHOTO funds.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████54%
Youth Programs██████████12%
Homelessness████████10%
Workforce Development██████7%
Procedural███4%
Budget Equity Analysis███4%
Racial Equity██2%
Economic Development██2%
Engineering And Infrastructure██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Janesville Community Development Authority Meeting – August 19, 2026

The Community Development Authority (CDA) met on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at 5:30 PM in City Hall Council Chambers to hear presentations from local nonprofits seeking Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership funds for 2027, as well as a HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) application. No votes were taken; funding decisions will be made at the next meeting on August 26, 2026, with recommendations advisory to the City Council.

Consent Calendar

  • The July 15, 2026 meeting minutes and the June budget performance report were approved under consent without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public spoke regarding items on the agenda or other matters within CDA authority.

Discussion Items: CDBG Public Service Applications (Estimated $80,000 cap for 2027 vs. $142,000 in requests)

  • Axe Housing (Kelly Andrew, Executive Director): Proposed homebuyer coaching for Janesville families. The program serves 85% of homebuyers earning below 80% area median income (AMI). Goals: serve at least 30 families and create six new homeowners annually. The average purchase price for participants is approximately $150,000–$160,000. Axe Housing also operates a lending arm (X Lending) and a rehab program. The presentation noted that coached families have a 50% lower foreclosure rate in similar neighborhoods in Milwaukee.
  • Boys & Girls Club of Janesville (Rebecca VM, CEO): Requested $22,000 (up from $10,000 in 2026) for the TEEN program and B-GRADUATE workforce development. Key data: only 40% of low-income students meet grade-level in language and math; 25% of Black/African American students are at grade level. The new facility (opening August 24) will increase capacity from 18 to 75 youth per day, with 49 teens already enrolled. The program emphasizes prevention through protective factors, with an average of four adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Rock County youth.
  • Community Action, Inc. – Project Thrive (Jamie Pennington, Program Manager): Presented a job training program for at-risk populations (parents aged 18–24 with children, or with child support obligations, criminal backgrounds, or reunification plans). Participants average six ACEs versus Rock County’s average of four. Outcomes: 83% employment rate, 65% retain jobs 60+ days, 16% recidivism rate (vs. 50% state average). The program serves about 25% of its participants from Janesville; 50% are homeless upon enrollment. Funding is matched 50% by FSET (FoodShare Employment and Training).
  • ECHO (Everyone Cooperating to Help Others) (Jessica Loecker, Executive Director): Requested $60,000 for emergency rental assistance to help at least 66 households (≈165 people). ECHO projects spending $235,000 total on rental assistance in 2027, serving 195 households. 54% of its operating budget is for housing/homeless services. In 2025, the program provided 207 months of rental assistance; so far in 2026, 96 months. 58% of assisted households had income at 0–30% AMI, 32% were paying over 50% of income on rent, and 44% of households included children. The need is high: housing is the #1 requested service in Rock County per 211 Wisconsin.
  • NeighborWorks Black Hawk Region (Liz Casey): Requested CDBG support for homebuyer education and one-on-one counseling. The organization has added three HUD-certified housing counselors. The program helps clients assess credit, income, and assets, and connects them to down payment assistance and local lenders. Education includes sustainability post-purchase. There is some overlap with Axe Housing, but referrals are made between agencies.

Discussion Items: HOME Investment Partnership Applications

  • Axe Homes (Michael Gossman, President/CEO, and Kelly Andrew): Requested approximately $1,050,000 in HOME funds to establish a revolving acquisition fund for buying, rehabbing, and selling six homes per year in Janesville. The model is self-sustaining: sale proceeds replenish the fund. Average sale price projected at $170,000. In Beloit, nine homes sold to date, with average monthly payment of $1,100 (below average rent). The program targets owner-occupants and requires down payment assistance from the city. Income restrictions apply: most families must be below 60% AMI for the first round. The fund would generate an estimated $70,000 in annual property tax revenue once fully operational (after five years).
  • Habitat for Humanity of Walworth, Jefferson, and Rock Counties (Melissa Sanko, CEO, and Brett Beluk, COO): Presented two applications:
    • CHDO Application (Beloit): $335,000 in HOME CHDO funds for five new-construction homes in the Hackett neighborhood. Total project cost: $1.6 million, with Habitat contributing $800,000 organizational capital, plus $240,000 from City of Beloit HOME funds, and other grants (Hendricks Family Foundation, local businesses).
    • HOME Application (Janesville): $700,000 for five new-construction homes (approx. 1,300 sq. ft., 3–4 bedrooms, with garage and basement) targeted for the 4th Ward. The per-unit subsidy has decreased from $170,000 (2026) to $140,000, demonstrating reduced dependency on HOME funds. Homes will be sold to families earning 30–80% AMI, with monthly payments estimated at $1,100–$1,500 (PITI). Habitat does not use deed restrictions but requires second mortgage repayment on sale or transfer. The organization has 31 staff, a $12 million annual budget, and expects 19 closings in FY2026.

Director’s Report

  • Kelly reported that 2026 HUD contracts are still pending; the city continues to follow up with HUD representatives.
  • City Council approved changes to Council Policy 100, allowing TIF extension funds to be used for single-family homes and owner-occupied duplexes (previously limited to large-scale multifamily rental).
  • FEMA flood assistance application deadline is August 31, 2026. Residents (owners and tenants) with damage from recent flooding should apply online, at the Lincoln Center, or by phone.

Key Outcomes

  • No decisions were made. The CDA will meet on August 26, 2026 to allocate CDBG and HOME funds, with recommendations to the City Council.
  • The CDBG public service cap is estimated at $80,000 for 2027, but total requests are $142,000, necessitating difficult choices.
  • HOME funds require at least 15% be allocated to a CHDO (Habitat’s CHDO application addresses this).
  • The CDA noted that all HOME funds for Rock County are governed by the CDA, including projects in Beloit.
  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:15 PM.

Meeting Transcript

We can get started roll call. Michael Coss. Here. Change Seaman. Jennifer Anderson. Lisa Higgins. Here. Scott Greenland. Here. Max Ryan. Here. Danielle Williams. Here. We're all here. First order to approve the minutes. I need a motion to approve. Do those fall under consent? Okay. So with the budget performance as well. Yes. Okay. All right. So is there anyone want to pull either of those out for com or for questions or comments? Or we go to move to approve under consent. All right. They just go. Approved under consent. Approved on a consent. Sorry. I'm this last one. It's been a while. All right. Now request for comments from the public regarding items on the agenda not requiring a public hearing and on matters which can be affected by CDA action. So is anyone, I don't see anyone in the audience for that. I think everyone here is for the grant programs. Okay. So moving on, we'll get to um agenda item number five. Kelly, you want to start? Yeah, so I've mentioned to a couple of of uh the CDA members tonight. This is my favorite meeting of the year because we get to hear about all the great things that are our local nonprofits do. Um next week's meeting is my least favorite because you have to make hard decisions. So tonight you get to hear all of the great things that these these folks do, um, and next week we make the hard financial decisions. Um so what you'll hear is is three separate um groups of presentations tonight. Your first is going to be CDBG. Um CDBG is our public service funds. Those are capped at 15% of our grant plus 15% of our program income. So what we are estimating for next year, and that's always an estimate because we have no idea what HUD is going to be doing, is $80,000 for 2027. If you look at the applications, we have 142,000 in applications. So that's where I talk about the the hard decisions coming into play. Um for home funds, it's a little bit different, and you'll you'll hear a couple different presentations, and we can talk more in depth next week when we make decisions.

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