May 22, 2020
The Lawrence City Commission will consider authorizing a Substantial Amendment to the 2019 Consolidated Plan and Investment Summary for the 2019 CDBG-CV (COVID) Program at their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in the City Commission Room, City Hall, 6 East 6th Street. City Commission meetings begin at 5:45 PM.
Due to the Coronavirus Social Distancing, there is a chance that the meeting will be held virtually. If this is the case, the agenda notification disseminated on Thursday, May 28, 2020 will contain information about joining the meeting. If you would like City staff to forward the meeting information please contact Danelle Walters at dwalters@lawrenceks.org.
Substantial Amendment to the 2019 CDBG Action Plan (August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020)
This Substantial Amendment to the City of Lawrence 2019 Action Plan is due to The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Public Law. This law made available $5 billion in supplemental Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus (CDBG-CV grants). Additionally, the CARES Act provides CDBG grantees with flexibilities that make it easier to use CDBG-CV grants and fiscal years 2019 and 2020 CDBG Grants for coronavirus response and authorizes HUD to grant waivers and alternative requirements.
The City of Lawrence has received an allocation of: $446,184 under CDBG-CV funding as an available resource which will be applied to the 2019 Annual Action Plan. Distributions of line items for the funding will be amended upon guidance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Grantees have been advised to amend or prepare their plans as soon as possible and not to wait for the pending Federal Register notice, which may provide additional waivers and alternative requirements. Similarly, grantees have been advised not to wait for HUD to allocate the remaining nearly $3 billion of the $5 billion provided by the CARES Act for the CDBG program. Upon publication of the Federal Register notice and subsequent allocations, Lawrence will then amend our Action Plan accordingly.
HUD has advised Grantees that they should proceed with all amendments and plans under these new provisions by adding the CDBG-CV allocation in their plans as an available resource for the 2019 fiscal year. The CARES Act permits HUD to waive, or specify alternative requirements for, any provision of any statute or regulation that the
Secretary administers in connection with the CDBG-CV funds, FY2019 and FY2020 CDBG funds (except for requirements related to fair housing, nondiscrimination, labor standards, and the environment), upon a finding by the Secretary that any such waivers or alternative requirements are necessary to expedite or facilitate the use of such amounts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
To expedite grantees’ use of CDBG-CV funds, HUD is waiving the requirements at 42 U.S.C. 12705(a)(2) to the extent it requires updates to the housing and homeless needs assessment, housing market analysis, and strategic plan and 24 CFR 91.220 and 91.320 to the extent the action plan is limited to a specific program year to permit grantees to prepare substantial amendments to their most recent annual action plan, including their 2019 annual action plan. Grantees must identify the proposed use of all funds and how the funds will be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
Allocation of CDBG–CV funds:
The City of Lawrence will designate the $446,184 award of CDBG-CV funds accordingly until and if further notices are received to the following services:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has also waived 24 CFR 91.505 to facilitate the use of the CDBG-CV funds to the extent necessary to require submission of the substantial amendment to HUD for review in accordance with 24 CFR 91.500.
To receive a CDBG-CV grant, Lawrence Community Development Division will submit to HUD a SF-424, SF 424D and the certifications at 24 CFR 91.225(a) and (b) or 24 CFR 91.325(a) and (b).
Any comments or questions on this substantial amendment can be addressed to: Danelle Walters, Community Development Division Manager, City of Lawrence, PO Box 780, Lawrence, KS 66044. Due to the closure of the City Hall at this time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please email your comments to dwalters@lawrenceks.org Public Comments should be submitted by May 29, 2020.
The Public Comment period has been amended as per Amendment and Resolution to the Consolidated Plan/Citizen Participation Plan from a 30 day Public Comment Period to a 5 day Public Comment Period in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.