Every five years, the Planning Services Division develops a five-year consolidated plan to guide its housing and community development strategy for that period. The plan outlines how funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships programs will be utilized, and all HOME/CDBG budgets developed during the specified period must be consistent with the priorities and goals of the consolidated plan.
Each five-year plan is developed with extensive input from citizens and stakeholders, including representatives from public service agencies that serve low-to-moderate income (LMI) households, special needs and elderly populations, the homeless, and public housing residents.
The 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan identified a major and ongoing problem in Salisbury: the cost of housing, including rental units, continues to exceed the ability of low-wage households to pay without experiencing a significant cost burden. The consolidated plan elaborates upon the need to increase the supply of high-quality, affordable housing in Salisbury.
2015-2019 Consolidated Five Year Plan
2020-2024 Consolidated Plan Update
In 2014-15, Salisbury City Council adopted the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan, which describes community needs and determines local priorities for using public resources to assist low- and moderate-income (LMI) residents of Salisbury over a five-year period. The Consolidated Plan is augmented by Annual Action Plans (such as this FY 2019-2020 Action Plan), which identify how the City will spend limited public resources each year to meet the goals and priorities of the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan.
In 2019-20, the City will update its Consolidated Plan for the period between 2020-2024. This Update represents an important opportunity for all citizens of Salisbury to review the City’s existing community development goals and priorities, and offer feedback to ensure Salisbury continues to operate a strong and effective Community Development program.
The goals and priorities of the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan have not yet been determined, and will be adopted by City Council only after an extensive community participation and consultation process. However, based on citizen feedback over the previous several years, the following general themes have emerged as important considerations for the City moving forward:
- Taking additional meaningful actions to affirmatively further fair housing and to incorporate fair and affordable housing planning into city-wide planning policies;
- Ensuring meaningful community engagement at all stages of plan development, and that outreach strategies reach the broadest possible audience, including low-income persons, communities of color, persons with disabilities, and other historically-underrepresented groups and relevant stakeholder organizations;
- Building stronger bonds of trust with all community groups, and ensuring that the history, context, and needs of such communities are not overlooked;
- Providing clearer and more detailed information about Salisbury’s Community Development program on the City’s official websites and other media; and
- Ensuring the City follows best practices in its community development strategies while also giving due consideration to implementing innovative practices where appropriate.
Public outreach regarding this project will begin in Summer 2019.