Baton Rouge opens final days of public comment on $7.49 million housing and homelessness funding plan
The Baton Rouge–East Baton Rouge Parish Office of Community Development is accepting public comments through Aug. 8 on a proposed plan that would allocate $7,486,659.46 in federal funding for housing, homelessness, AIDS-housing and community-development efforts during the 2026–27 program year.
The draft Program Year 2026 Action Plan covers four funding streams: Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG; HOME; Emergency Solutions Grant, or ESG; and Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, or HOPWA. The city-parish says the funds would support projects and programs benefiting low- to moderate-income individuals and households.
The public notice was posted July 7. The 30-day comment period opened July 9 and is scheduled to close Aug. 8, making the deadline the next known public step for residents who want to weigh in on the proposal.
Proposed allocations
The proposed CDBG allocation is $3,346,995, the largest of the four funding categories. The plan would direct $2,397,770 to HOPWA, $1,450,716.46 to HOME and $291,178 to ESG.
Together, the four proposed amounts equal $7,486,659.46. Those figures remain proposed allocations while the public-comment period is open; the notice does not establish final funding levels after comments are received.
The plan concerns the City of Baton Rouge–Parish of East Baton Rouge and the city-parish’s use of the federal program funds. It is intended to guide funding for the 2026–27 program year, affecting how the city-parish proposes to direct resources for eligible low- and moderate-income residents and households.
What the notice does and does not identify
The public notice identifies program-level funding amounts but does not name individual projects that would receive the money. Residents reviewing the plan can therefore comment on the proposed action plan and its allocations before final allocations are established.
The notice also does not state that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the plan. The published document is a draft action plan under public review, rather than a final award notice.
How to review and comment
The draft plan is available online and for public examination at Carver Library and Scotlandville Library, according to the Office of Community Development notice.
Comments may be submitted by email to the Office of Community Development or by mail to its Baton Rouge office. The deadline for both comment methods is Aug. 8.
With the comment period nearing its close, the proposal gives the public a defined opportunity to review the planned use of nearly $7.5 million across the four federal programs before allocations are finalized.
Sources
- Public Notice: PY2026 Action Plan, City of Baton Rouge–Parish of East Baton Rouge Office of Community Development