Since 2004, the City of Goleta is grateful to be a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) award recipient. These grant funds are intended to help communities accomplish HUD’s overall goals by carrying out a wide range of community development activities directed toward revitalizing neighborhoods, engaging in economic development, and providing important services of benefit to low-income residents, seniors, disabled individuals, and the homeless, in addition to other targeted populations. The CDBG program is principally targeted toward assisting low- and moderate-income persons.

Each year the City prepares an annual plan (Action Plan) which includes one-year goals and objectives, and sets forth funding allocations for activities to be carried out in the program year. The City of Goleta relies on nonprofit organizations to help carry out the goals of its CDBG Program. To allow for this, the City awards grant funds on a competitive basis to organizations that are considered grant subrecipients under the City’s CDBG Program.

The City of Goleta has been awarded $225,537 from HUD for the upcoming 2020-2021 program year, with additional emergency funding to respond to COVID-19 community impacts. The programs and activities being carried out with the regular annual funding are included in the 2020-2021 Action Plan. Community member review of each year’s CDBG Action Plan is essential to the success of Goleta’s CDBG program. Between March 30 and April 29, a draft of next year’s CDBG Action Plan will be available for public review and input. Copies are typically placed at various public locations throughout the city; however, due to facility closures taking place this year, the plan will be available online. City staff will share the digital version through its various outreach tools to ensure it reaches as many residents as possible. The final Action Plan will be submitted to HUD in May.

Citizen participation is at the forefront of the City’s housing and neighborhood services strategies, planning, and implementation. To best serve the community, citizen involvement is vital to assure that activities are well suited to local needs. The CDBG program requires that citizens, particularly persons of low- and moderate-income, minorities, and persons with disabilities, be given an opportunity to participate in an advisory role in the planning and implementation of the CDBG program.

Please visit https://tinyurl.com/GoletaCDBG to review the draft Action Plan and share any comments and input with Dominique Samario at dsamario@cityofgoleta.org or 805-690-5126.

Pictured: Community Development Block Grant recipient.