So much of the ConPlan is from the CHAS requirements. Yet there need to be improvements in defining how to report goals and performance because a housing development is planned one year, has funding committed in another year, and reaches completion a year or more later. During this multi-year period the particular development may be a significant piece of work for the grantee. Yet the ConPlan and Action Plan has no specific way or instructions to capture this work.

Needed to effectively utilize HUD funding for local programs and projects.

One plan for all federal funds, that ties spending to the reduction of disparities.

Streamline reporting across agencies and where possible make reporting and planning regional.

This HUD code is confusing due to the title. It implies that it should be used for child care services only such as day care. The description is better but changing the title to Children Services is recommended so that grantees understand that the code is used for a variety of services that benefit children (generally under the age of 13).

The new Con Plan template should include a separate section for grantees to report on organizations in their community that provide services and programs to low-mod persons & households and help grantee accomplish their Con Plan goals even though no CDBG funds are used. Most communities have organizations, mostly non-profits, that assist hundreds and thousands of persons and households each year with non-CDBG funded programs.

can help with locational decision making for future housing projects.

This would provide uniformity in reporting and review requirements.

Would encourage that Con Plans and HUD Continuum of Care/Ten Year Plans to End Homelessness are similar. Is there a way to have these plans collaborate more easily so that communities are not working in two separate directions on these issues.

The housing goals need to consider the impact on Fair housing and outreach to persons with limited english proficiency in a substantive way. The new mapping software needs to provide LEP data and race data in a format that supports this goal.

Define the diversity of the community and offer financial incentives to get diverse plan feedback.

Con Plans that significantly do not comply with the regulations should be found "conditionally acceptable" to allow an opportunity for the grantee to resolve the deficiency. The "condition" should be that grantees work with HUD TA consultants to addtress the deficiency and bring the Plan to full compliance, by rationally and logically connecting the Needs Statement with the Strategic Plan.

Use easily available measures of results for improvements in a community; possibly modifying the HUD Performance Measures system. Those measures should include:
Increases in homeownership rate, increases in property values, and decreases in vacancy rates

Not every CDBG project has a specific address...for example, street overlay, this is done in a block's area, minimum. Try to use the address valadation function does not work in this situation.

The layout and flow of the document is important so that anyone in my community can understand what the document is for and how we came to our conclusions. CPMP, for example, did not foster understanding or ease of use. We should be telling our story, explaining our processes and encouraging others to review our work and critique it through the public document we produce.