“In order to ensure that the community’s investment of federal funding is guided by community input, the city engages in a community-led planning process every five years,” Estrop said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
The process begins with a community needs survey, which is now available on the city’s website, where it will stay through June 6. It’s also available on the city’s Facebook page, or at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SpringfieldConPlan2025.
Community input will be welcome at two public hearings:
- 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21 at United Senior Services, 125 W. Main St.
- 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14 at Fire Station 8 Training Room, 2040 S. Limestone St.
“These meetings will be open to the general public and will provide information on the planning process, include a review of community data and include a discussion of activities that are eligible to be funded under each federal program,” Estrop said.
The city will also hold focus group and one-on-one meetings with city staff, local developers, service providers, nonprofits and other stakeholders, Estrop said.
The federal funds come from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) program and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. They can go toward a variety of things like housing, public services, homeowner rehabilitation, rental assistance, street outreach, emergency shelter and homelessness prevention.
Later, residents can share online feedback starting in mid-June for a 30 day period, where they can review and comment on a draft of a consolidated plan. The city commission will legislate the final plan before submitting it to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“A strong Consolidated Plan is more than a federal requirement, it’s a roadmap for building stronger, more equitable communities,” said Mayor Rob Rue. “It ensures that our investments are guided by the voices of residents and grounded in the challenges and priorities they experience every day.”
The plan is contingent on the city receiving federal grants for which it is approved. This has not always been the case with local agencies recently, as the Trump administration has dramatically cut a variety of federal programs.
This included the cancellation of a more than $200,000 federal food shipment to Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign & Logan Counties about two weeks ago — food that is now “sitting in a warehouse,” Clark County Commissioner Charlie Patterson said previously.
The Clark County Combined Health District saw more than $2 million cut, which led to staff layoffs and a reduction in services.
The federal government more recently abruptly canceled a community violence prevention grant soon after approving budget revisions, freezing $1.24 million for Springfield’s local efforts to curb gun violence.
The grant, originally for about $1.6 million, funded an effort in Springfield to address gun violence, particularly among young people. Almost $400,000 has been invested in planning and efforts to launch street outreach since it was awarded in 2023. All efforts are now on pause.
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