Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee, October 22, 2026

Cleveland City Council’s Development, Planning and Sustainability Committee held the first day of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) budget and program-year 2026 hearing on October 22, 2026. The Department of Community Development reported approximately $28.1 million in HUD funding, including $19.656 million in CDBG funds, and said total grant funding had declined by about $2.3 million since 2021. The department described proposed changes to address HUD compliance concerns and improve transparency, documentation, monitoring, and timely spending. No contract awards or spending votes were recorded. The department said it intends to fully fund CDCs in 2026 and 2027, and noted roughly $3.5 million in outstanding council-directed balances that it aims to have under contract by March 2027.

The proposed process would replace ad hoc project requests and lump-sum allocations with earlier project identification, public review, and clearer procurement paths. The department described noncompetitive applications for eligible subrecipients, while many ward-based and citywide services would use competitive RFPs; it also offered assistance with project design and procurement. Officials cited federal competition thresholds of up to $15,000 for micro-purchases, $15,000–$350,000 for simplified acquisitions generally requiring at least three bids, and full and open competition above $350,000, with sole-source justifications possible where appropriate. The department also proposed citizen workshops, plain-language budget materials, improved grant-management technology, and a public-facing performance dashboard. Council members raised concerns about timelines, neighborhood equity, CDC capacity, and home-repair results; the committee adjourned without a procurement decision.