The Lake County Health and Community Services Committee approved a joint resolution supporting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s consolidated plan for program years 2025–2029, endorsing funding recommendations totaling $4,997,276 and an emergency appropriation of $253,436, officials said at the committee meeting.

The consolidated plan is Lake County’s five‑year framework for distributing HUD formula and related funds. “It’s our 5 year planning document,” Community Development Administrator Dominic Strezo told the committee, adding the plan groups priorities into a needs assessment, a housing market analysis and an annual action plan.

Strezo said the plan’s stated priorities are to maximize affordable housing, improve the county’s homeless crisis‑response system and enhance the living environment for Lake County’s low‑ and moderate‑income population. “We know we need housing across all spectrums, shapes, sizes, and income levels,” he said.

Under the recommendation, roughly $3.1 million would go toward housing programs (split currently about 65% rental and 35% homeownership), about $650,000 toward capital projects (streets, sewer and accessibility work) and roughly $540,000 for public services — the latter capped by HUD at 15% of CDBG allocation, Strezo said. He also said about $700,000 of the overall package is targeted toward homelessness services. Those figures were presented by Strezo as approximate breakdowns of the total recommendation.

Strezo described how three low‑income housing tax credit (LIHTC) applications that the county supported competed for state tax credits; only one received tax‑credit awards. “It is the one in Gurnee. It’s called Liberty Pointe,” Strezo said; he said Liberty Pointe is a roughly 40‑unit development. Two other county‑supported projects — identified in the packet as a Full Circle/Liberty Lake development and Pulaski Senior Apartments in Waukegan — were not selected for tax credits and will be put on hold. Strezo said staff will seek to reallocate the county dollars committed to those projects and return to the committee with an amendment to the annual action plan.

Committee members asked about the competitive tax‑credit process and programmatic choices. Member Aspen asked why only one project received credits; Strezo replied that tax‑credit awards are limited and scored, calling the outcome partly a function of competition. Member Kanishnick asked whether the current skew toward rental funding would change; Strezo said some reallocations to owner‑occupied programs (rehab, down‑payment assistance, land trust) could balance spending as projects that pause are reallocated.

The committee approved the consolidated‑plan resolution by voice vote with one recorded abstention: Member Casper said she had to abstain because she serves on the PADS board. The motion passed.