City staff used the Oct. 22 Housing and Human Services Commission meeting to highlight several upcoming Council items and program updates, including a joint meeting in December to consider the city’s homelessness strategic plan and progress updates on housing mitigation awards.

Staff asked commissioners to attend a joint HHSC–City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 2, when the council will consider approving a five-year homelessness strategic plan that includes goals, implementation steps and a funding plan. Staff said the plan has been in development since earlier in 2025 and is intended to guide how limited homelessness funding is prioritized over the next five years.

Staff also said two information-only items will appear on the Nov. 18 council agenda: a homeless services annual update that will include We Hope’s first-year program metrics, and a guaranteed basic income report requested by council one year after the study issue concluded. Both items will be information-only reports to council.

Commissioner Duncan asked for an update on three projects that the commission recommended council approve for housing mitigation funding (the transcript references $29,500,000 in housing mitigation funds across three projects named 1171 Sonora Court, 295 South Matilda and 352 East Java). Staff replied that the Java project has been pushed out and is eligible to compete in future funding rounds and that the projects awarded to date mostly received predevelopment funds and have not yet secured all other funding sources. Staff noted the housing mitigation Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is issued roughly every two years; the next NOFA is expected in January 2026.

Staff also reminded commissioners that the downtown streets team program closed in October. Staff said they will return with a substantial amendment to the action plan, likely in early 2026, to close out the program. Staff said next month they will bring RFPs for federal funding for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) capital projects and economic development, and for the HOME TBRA (tenant-based rental assistance) program.

Staff additionally told commissioners that a recent city council decision changed the study-issue process (item 25-0569) and that staff will provide more information about implementation in the coming months.

No formal commission action was taken on these informational items at the Oct. 22 meeting.