Consolidated Plan Process, Grant Programs, and Related HUD Programs

Consolidated Plan Process

The Consolidated Plan is designed to help states and local jurisdictions to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions. 

• Consultation and Citizen Participation. Through the Consolidated Plan (often called the “Con Plan”), grantee jurisdictions engage the community, both in the process of developing and reviewing the proposed plan, and as partners and stakeholders in the implementation of CPD programs. By consulting and collaborating with other public and private entities, grantees can align and coordinate community development programs with a range of other plans, programs and resources to achieve greater impact.
   
• The Consolidated Plan. The Consolidated Plan, which may have a duration of between 3 and 5 years, describes the jurisdiction’s community development priorities and multiyear goals based on an assessment of housing and community development needs, an analysis of housing and economic market conditions and available resources.
   
• The Annual Action Plan. The Consolidated Plan is carried out through Annual Action Plans, which provide a concise summary of the actions, activities, and the specific federal and non-federal resources that will be used each year to address the priority needs and specific goals identified by the Consolidated Plan.
   
• Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). In the CAPER, grantees report on accomplishments and progress toward Consolidated Plan goals in the prior year.

Consolidated Plan Block Grant Programs

The consolidated planning process serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the four CPD formula block grant programs: 

• CDBG: Community Development Block Grant Program
• HOME: HOME Investment Partnerships Program
• ESG: Emergency Solutions Grants Program
• HOPWA: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program

Grantee Types

Local Jurisdictions

Units of local government must submit a 3 to 5 year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans. Annual Action Plans should describe specific projects to be funded. See 24 CFR Part 91, Subpart D.

States

State governments must also submit a 3 to 5 year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plans. However, rather than describing specific projects to be funded, a State’s Annual Action Plan must specify its method of distributing funds to eligible units of local government and nonprofits, or the activities to be undertaken by the state-run programs in the coming year. See 24 CFR Part 91, Subpart D.

Consortia

Units of local government that participate in a HOME Consortium must participate in submission of a Consolidated Plan for the consortium, which addresses the housing elements of the Consolidated Plan. The plan must also describe the non-housing community development plans of all CDBG entitlement communities that are members of a consortium. See 24 CFR Part 91, Subpart E.

HUD Programs and Requirements Related to Consolidated Planning

Office of Fair Housing: As part of the Consolidated Plan, all grantees must certify that they will affirmatively further fair housing, which means conducting an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), taking appropriate actions to overcome the effects of any impediments identified through that analysis, and keeping records of these actions. The Fair Housing Planning Guide provides guides to grantees preparing their AI.

Office of Public and Indian Housing Public Housing Program: The Consolidated Plan regulations require grantees to create strategies to address the needs of public housing residents. The PHA Plan is a comprehensive guide to PHA policies, programs, operations, and strategies for meeting local housing needs and goals. 

Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities: HUD’s Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities works to coordinate federal housing and transportation investments with local land use decisions in order to reduce transportation costs for families, improve housing affordability, save energy, and increase access to housing and employment opportunities. 

Other Sustainability Resources

• Livability Principles: The Partnership for Sustainable Communities has established six livability principles that serve as a foundation for interagency coordination.
• Sustainable Housing Resources: The Sustainable Housing Initiative, within the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities, provides a wide range of resources to support coordination of energy-efficiency and green building initiatives across federal programs.
• Housing + Transportation Affordability Index: The Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing and Transportation (H+T®) Affordability Index provides a more information about the combined cost of housing and transportation at the neighborhood level.