Urban Development Committee Discusses HUD Grant Budget, April 13, 2026
Providence Urban Development Committee Discusses HUD Grant Budget, April 13, 2026
On Monday, April 13, 2026, the Providence Urban Development Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Harris, convened to review the proposed HUD entitlement grant budget for fiscal year 2026-2027. The meeting focused on an overview of the allocation process, funding priorities, and next steps to secure federal approval by July 1st.
Discussion Items
- Introduction and Substitution A: The committee voted to accept a substitution motion (moved by Pass, seconded by Council) to amend the record before hearing the grant presentation.
- HUD Grant Presentation: Housing Director Emily Friedman and Community Development Director Alyssa McDermott presented the proposed budget, which is the second investment under the 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan. The budget was informed by community engagement, market analysis, and fair housing review.
- Funding Process and Outreach: The city received nearly 100 proposals totaling $17.5 million in requests (including $12.5 million in CDBG requests). Due to limited funding, the administration prioritized basic urgent needs (food, child care, homelessness prevention, refugee services) and eligible facility/housing projects that address critical operational barriers (fire safety, ADA improvements). Outreach included a digital notice to 1,400 email addresses, a website posting, a Providence Journal ad, and an application workshop with over 80 registrants.
- Budget Structure: The budget reflects actual federal allocations rather than projections, with a small cut from the previous year. Fixed expenses include administrative and delivery costs (set by OMB) and a public service cap of just over $1 million. Economic development projects (technical assistance, revolving loan fund) have no cap. Public facilities (libraries, shelters, community centers) also have no cap. Ward allocations for brick-and-mortar projects are included, with approximately two-thirds of ward projects confirmed.
- Specific Projects: An additional $200,000 was allocated to the NASPETucket River watershed (Moreno Park and three-way accessibility project) using rebalanced funds. The Providence Housing Authority applied for $200,000 for playgrounds and border replacement, but committee members questioned whether CDBG funds could cover maintenance items (e.g., HVAC replacements were deemed major structural systems and eligible). Food banks are funded under public services. The Calavini Center did not apply, and members encouraged future participation.
- Next Steps: The committee is expected to further review the budget, hear from project advocates, and work with council offices to finalize ward allocations. The budget must pass committee and full council twice, undergo a 30-day public comment period, and be submitted to HUD by July 1 to avoid service disruptions.
Key Outcomes
- The committee accepted Substitution A and received the HUD grant overview.
- A motion to continue the budget review process was moved by Vice Chair Picardo and seconded by Council; all members voted in favor.
- The meeting was adjourned after the motion to adjourn was unanimously approved.
Meeting Transcript
The committee of urban development normal planet is now called to order. Today is Monday April thirteen. Chairwoman Harris. President. Vice Chair Picardo. President. Councilman Gonzals is absent. Councilwoman Graves is also absent. Councilwoman Marcus. We have a form. I want to get into class three solicitor. Did I get it? You did get it. Okay. I'll likely maintain a motion to get to the substitute A, substitution A into the records. Move the second move by Pass Move. Second by Council. All in favor. Okay. At this moment, I'm going to turn it over to our new problem. And you both can introduce yourself. Interact and good evening, Emily Friedman, Director of Housing and Human Services. Good evening, Alyssa McDermott, Director of Housing and Community Development Division. Thank you. Thank you both for being here. And what you are doing today is giving us an overview of this receipt on a leader. Yes. Okay. All right. So thank you for making that substitution. I'll let Alyssa set the stage for the process to come from here and give you a brief overview of what you're looking at. All right. So Director Friedman and I are pleased to join you this evening to present our proposed HUD entitlement grant on behalf of Mayor Smiley. Tonight we're going to go through an overview of the process, the method methodology on considerations when we were crafting this budget. And then we're also going to outline some next steps to advance the budget to enable the release of funds from HUD. So this budget will serve as our second investment under the 2025 to 2029 consolidated plan. The five-year COM plan was informed by community engagement, a detailed market analysis market and needs analysis, and a review of the access and barriers to fair housing. After establishing community needs, we were then charged with by HUD with responsibility to select the highest quality services meeting those priority community needs at the best price. Following our consistent cycle, we released a NOFA or a notice of funding availability in February, where we received almost 100 worthwhile proposals. Of course, incredibly difficult decisions were had to be made due to the tremendous level of ASP and the limited availability of our funding. We received in total 17.5 million dollars in requests with 12.5 million in CDBG requests alone. Our job this year and our outlook for local nonprofits is particularly challenging right now as we navigate federal funding landscapes that continue to consistently change. And with that in mind, the mayor and staff identified for funding those services and activities which ensure basic urgent needs like food and child care, homelessness prevention and response, and refugee services are able to sustain their operations and baseline service delivery. Facility and housing proposals recommended are those that address critical operational barriers or concerns, such as fire safety systems or ADA improvements. And we are also hoping to generate new units that serve our lowest income. Our emphasis still continues to be placed on clearly defined projects that are ready to proceed. To be funded, there must be a direct line between CDBG investment and eligible clients that are being served. Direct service provision to low to moderate income clients and spaces improved must serve low to moderate income clients. So for example, we are not able to fund general nonprofit capacity building, no administrative offices, no maintenance, and things like that. And every activity must clearly meet a national objective and be eligible under HUD regulations.
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