Chula Vista is developing a five-year plan outlining how the city should spend federal grant funding in low-income communities. It’s seeking public input to help guide priority areas.
The city is hosting four community meetings and opening an online survey that will accept through Feb. 28. Meetings, which will offer Spanish translation, are scheduled for:
- Jan. 16, from 6 – 8 p.m., at Veterans Community Center, 785 East Palomar St.;
- Jan. 27, from 6 – 8 p.m., at Montevalle Recreation Center, 840 Duncan Ranch Road;
- Jan. 29, from 6 – 8 p.m., at Loma Verde Community Center, 1420 Loma Lane;
- Jan. 30, from 5 – 7 p.m., at Chula Vista Woman’s Club, 357 G St.
“By taking this survey, your voice will guide our federal HUD funding investments and help enhance a healthy, safe, and thriving community in Chula Vista,” the city said on its website.
Every year, the city receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing and a suitable living environment for low- and moderate-income households. Funds can be used in several areas, including fixing streets and sidewalks, building homeless shelters and recreational facilities, increasing affordable housing, and offering businesses financial assistance programs.
To secure funds, the city has to develop a planning document, dubbed the Consolidated Plan, every five years. The plan “describes the City’s five-year strategy for use of these funds based upon the identified goals and objectives related to its housing and community development priorities,” according to a city staff report.
Chula Vista’s last plan covered the years between 2020 and 2024. It prioritized homeless outreach and shelter operations, new construction of affordable housing, tenant rental assistance, and several other public services.
Known as the Action Plan, the city then creates a blueprint for how to spend the funds every year. For the 2024-25 year, the city received more than $3 million. Officials approved a spending plan, which became effective last July, that includes investments in rental assistance for local tenants, nonprofits that offer food and household items to low-income families, motel vouchers for homeless people and to a school district’s family resource center.
After is collected and the Consolidated Plan is developed, the City Council is expected to consider adopting it sometime in the spring.
