County Council will hold May 6 public hearing on development, action, participation plans

VANCOUVER – All comments are welcomed and encouraged regarding the draft Clark County 2025-2029 Five-Year Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan, draft 2025 Clark County Annual Action Plan, substantial amendments to the 2022 Annual Action Plans and updates to the Citizen Participation Plan.

To receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), local jurisdictions must create a five-year consolidated plan that outlines the needs of the community along with strategies and goals to work towards meeting those needs. The draft 2025-2029 Five-Year Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan includes a needs assessment, along with goals and strategies for addressing those needs through eligible activities under the CDBG and HOME programs. Needs were identified through community meetings, surveys, stakeholder interviews, and comprehensive data collection. Goals and strategies were created to address the highest needs identified through community input. Additional public comment is being requested to ensure the goals and strategies of the Consolidated Plan meet the community’s needs. The 2025 Annual Action Plan outlines the proposed activities to support the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan.

The draft 2025-2029 Five-Year Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan can be found at https://clark.wa.gov/community-services/cdbg-and-home-documents.

The substantial amendment to the 2022 Annual Action Plan outlines how Clark County proposes to reprogram unused HOME funds.

Clark County is updating its Citizen Participation Plan (CPP), a HUD required document that sets forth policies and procedures to encourage participation in the planning and reporting of Clark County’s local Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships programs. Changes are word choice, grammatical corrections and updates to reflect current processes. To review all the changes, visit https://clark.wa.gov/community-services/cdbg-and-home-documents.

In accordance with Consolidated Plan requirements at 24 CFR Part 91 Subpart B and the county’s Citizen Participation Plan, draft Consolidated and Annual Action Plans and changes to the Annual Action Plan through this Substantial Amendment are advertised to provide opportunity for public comment.

A Public Hearing will be held Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 10 a.m. before the Clark County Council. Information about how to access this meeting is available at https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/council-meeting-information.

Comments about the proposed changes may be submitted by email to Nooreen.Ebraim@clark.wa.gov or by calling 564.397.7834.

Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

Program Year 2025 proposed activities:

Vancouver Housing Authority – Bertha’s Place Shelter Remodel. Exterior renovations to increase the longevity of the 62-room emergency shelter. $400,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Clark County – 701 E Main Street Building Improvements. Exterior and interior improvements to the county property currently leased to Sea Mar Community Health Centers. Improvements include roof replacement, new flooring, and more. $200,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity – Land Acquisition for Homeownership. Acquisition of land outside of the city of Vancouver, upon which six permanently affordable homes will be built. $129,228 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Fourth Plain Forward – BIPOC Business Assistance. Business assistance and educational resources for microenterprise owners that belong to historically underserved groups in Clark County. $285,016 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Clark County – Housing Preservation Program. Provide essential housing repairs to low-income homeowners to maintain their existing housing safely and affordably. $250,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Columbia Non-Profit Housing – River and Main. New construction of a 40-unit fully affordable housing complex serving low-income seniors ages 62 and older in Washougal. $254,074 of PY2025 HOME funds.

Janus Youth Programs – The Nest TBRA program. Tenant based rental assistance program assisting homeless youth ages 18-25 by providing case management and rent and utility payments. $169,350 of PY2025 HOME and $45,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Share – Affordable Housing & Stability Program TBRA program. Tenant based rental assistance program assisting individuals and families by providing case management and rent and utility payments. $266,700 of PY2025 HOME and $69,574 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Program Year 2025 contingency activities:

The following applications were selected as contingency projects in the event any of the awarded applications cannot move forward.

City of Battle Ground – Remy Park Improvements. Project will make park improvements at Remy Park, an underdeveloped community space in Battle Ground. Improvements include constructing a covered basketball court and creating a small ADA compliant parking lot. Up to $400,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber Latinx Business Assistance. Technical business assistance provided by a bilingual staff to Latino microenterprise owners. Up to $134,700 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

YWCA Clark County Domestic Violence Survivors TBRA program. Tenant based rental assistance program assisting survivors of domestic violence by providing case management and rent and utility payments. Up to $276,000 of PY2025 HOME and up to $72,000 of PY2025 CDBG funds.

Substantial Amendment to Program Year 2022 activities:

Canceled Project: Funding allocated to the Second Step Housing Market Rate Unit Acquisition project has been rescinded. Returned PY2022 HOME funding: $404,500, including $172,866.60 of CHDO set aside funding.

Change in Use of Funding: Unspent HOME funding set aside for Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) is being reallocated as undesignated HOME funds. CHDO set aside funding from program years 2021 and 2022, $83,052 and $89,814.60 respectively, are being converted.

New Funding: Vancouver Housing Authority – Weaver Creek Commons. A 100-unit affordable housing project serving low-income Clark County households. A portion of the units will be dedicated to people who require ADA accommodations and people who are exiting homelessness. $405,400 of PY2022 HOME funds.

Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.