Jamestown Deputy Director of Housing Policy and Development Kasie Foulk and Director of Development Crystal Surdyk present to the Jamestown City Council Housing Committee (April 7, 2025)
The City of Jamestown will begin working on a proposal to use HOME program funds for in-fill housing.
Director of Development Crystal Surdyk and Deputy Director of Housing Policy and Development Kasie Foulk presented to the City Council Housing Committee on the new use of $640,000 in HOME funds following Council voting down the reallocation of those funds to be used toward the clean-up of the brownfield site where the Gateway Lofts Project is set to take place.
Surdyk said $140,000 of the funds could be used for the home rehabilitation program that’s being managed by Home Rehab Specialist Jan Potter. She said while Potter currently has 24 open projects, she agreed she could add another two to three homes to that list.
Surdyk said the remaining $500,000 could then go into a Home Development category project, “And that category has already been approved by HUD. We will still have to go through the process of the 30-day public comment period and a Council vote but our suggestion was to reallocate that $500,000 to this program which would focus on in-fill development.”
Surdyk said the in-fill housing would involve new construction of housing on vacant lots or on lots where homes are being demolished.
Foulk said even if Council votes to reallocate this funding for the new proposal, there’s no guarantee that the Federal Government won’t claw it back before it can be used.
She said the city will get an idea on May 15 about how much U.S. Housing and Urban Development funding they may receive, “But that does not guarantee an award letter. It just guarantees the formula. HUD did take a drastic cut this year to their Community Development program. Like, $3 billion, so we can expect our HUD money to be cut in half.”
The City has received around $1.5 million in Community Development Block Grant and HOME program funds annually.
Council will receive a formal presentation on the new use of HOME program funds at their April 21 work session and then vote on that proposal in May.
Foulk said a request for proposals (RFP) from developers would then be opened in June with reviews happening in August. Council would then be required to vote again in August on awarding the developer bid. She said between approvals needed from the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, construction would likely not begin until Spring or Summer of 2026.
Why are the funds being reallocated?! WHY! This is consistently happening when the need is not being met or addressed for the purpose it was intended for. What exactly is going on? The funds are being reallocated constantly and projects are not being completed that are necessary; yet the Mayor and council continue to carp that they are being targeted by the state for not getting resources? Seriously?!
Are they misappropriating monies for their own personal benefit?