Housing and Community Development staff told the Toledo City Council on Feb. 18 that they plan to move money within the city's reallocated emergency rental assistance (ERAP) funding, hire a consultant for a neighborhood planning grant and accept a $4,000,000 HUD grant.

"We initially had $5,000,103 and $778 allocated for administration. We'd like to reduce that amount," a Housing staff member said, describing proposed decreases to program administration and housing stability allocations and increases to affordable rental housing development and direct rental assistance. The staff member said the city has until September to expend the ERAP dollars and that a number of affordable housing projects are in the pipeline.

The second item would authorize the expenditure of $150,000 in general funds to procure a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant consultant; the staff member said the amount was approved in the 2025 budget and the city conducted a competitive RFP. The third item is acceptance and appropriation of a $4,000,000 HUD "pathways to removing obstacles to housing" grant, which the staff member said will be used for updating zoning code, appraisal‑gap funding initiatives and work with the land bank to develop form‑based codes and construction drawings for inner‑city areas.

Council made no extended comments in the transcript; Vice Chair Dr. Jones recommended SEP for the ERAP reallocation and the HUD grant. The staff requested SEP or first reading on the consultant contract. No votes were recorded in the provided transcript.

If enacted, the measures would shift existing ERAP allocations toward development and direct rental assistance and commit city and grant funds to code and planning work; the staff emphasized the September expenditure deadline for the ERAP funds.

Clarifying details provided in the meeting: the ERAP reallocation moves funds between administration, housing stability, affordable rental housing development and direct rental assistance (specific line‑item adjustments were said to be in an attached schedule); the Choice Neighborhood consultant expenditure is $150,000 and was approved in the 2025 budget; the HUD grant award amount is $4,000,000 and will be applied to zoning updates, appraisal‑gap initiatives and land‑bank related form‑based code and construction drawings.

The items were presented as requests for SEP or first reading; the transcript does not record final enactment or council vote on any of these three items.