What happened: The City of Midland approved its annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) action plan, allocating $1.3 million in federal funding across 10 city and nonprofit projects. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded Midland $996,933 for the coming program year. The city is adding $230,000 in unspent prior-year funds and $40,000 in program income, bringing the total available to $1,266,933.

Congress created the CDBG program in 1974. Federal rules generally require that at least 70% of CDBG funds benefit low- and moderate-income residents and limit the grant to 15% for direct public services. A three-member council subcommittee made funding recommendations with input from city staff.

The big picture: Most of Midland’s CDBG money will go toward city-run projects and programs. About 84% of the total is allocated to city infrastructure, code enforcement, and homebuyer assistance. The remaining $205,000 is allocated across five projects operated by four nonprofit organizations.

  • MLK Parking Lot Improvements — $380,000 (City project): Reconstructs the parking area at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 2300 Butternut Lane, to meet current ADA and engineering standards.
  • New York Avenue sidewalks — $240,000 (City project): Builds new sidewalks with ADA ramps along New York Avenue from Fairgrounds Road to Carver Street.
  • Garrett Brown Park sidewalks — $229,500 (City project): Builds sidewalks and ADA ramps around Garrett Brown Park.
  • Code officer for Districts 2 and 4 — $150,000 (City project): Funds a new code-compliance position dedicated to Districts 2 and 4, with a focus on dilapidated-housing demolition and general code enforcement.
  • Affordable Homebuyers Housing Assistance — $62,383 (City program): Provides direct financial assistance to five first-time, low- to moderate-income homebuyer households purchasing homes in qualifying census tracts within Midland city limits.
  • Casa de Amigos Senior Lunch Program — $55,000: Provides daily hot lunches for about 130 seniors at three community centers in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. Casa de Amigos reported $2.7 million in total revenue on its 2024 IRS Form 990, making the allocation equivalent to roughly 2% of its annual revenue.
  • Casa de Amigos Home Cleaning Program — $40,000: Provides weekly home cleaning services for about 102 homebound seniors.
  • Senior Life Midland Share-A-Meal — $50,000: Funds weekend meal deliveries to homebound seniors, supplementing Meals on Wheels’ regular weekday service. The plan targets 800 homebound individuals. Senior Life Midland reported $5.6 million in total revenue on its 2024 Form 990, making the allocation equivalent to roughly 0.9% of its annual revenue.
  • Salvation Army Nutrition & Support Services — $45,000: Provides three meals per day for shelter residents and community members at 600 W. Wall St. The plan estimates 120 people served daily. A direct comparison between the city’s allocation and the Midland operation’s annual revenue is unavailable because donations are often made to the broader Salvation Army organization and distributed to local operations.
  • West Texas Food Bank — $15,000: Funds facility improvements at 1601 Westcliff Dr., including repairs to a storage building and garden areas used for educational programming and an air-conditioning upgrade in the food-distribution warehouse. The plan estimates 300 youth and adults will benefit from the improved education spaces. West Texas Food Bank reported $27.2 million in total revenue on its 2024 Form 990, making the allocation equivalent to roughly 0.06% of its annual revenue.

What’s next: The city will report how the money was spent and what each project accomplished in its annual performance report next fall, providing a way to compare the plan’s projected beneficiaries and outcomes with the results actually delivered.

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