This post is part of our ongoing, experiment-in-public series using AI to speed up analysis of Metro Council’s budget hearings. We’re stress-testing the tech, comparing it against traditional note-taking, and sharing what we learn so residents can act on solid information.
Snapshot of the Numbers
- Proposed Operating Budget: $22.6 M (↑ ≈ 13 % over last year)
- Proposed Capital Budget: $26.8 M (↑ ≈ 12 %)
- HUD “PRO Housing” Grant: $7 M to rewrite the Land Development Code and pilot modular homes
- MMY Modular Housing: +$1 M more for 5–7 demo homes (only one unit expected by mid-summer)
- Affordable Housing Trust Fund: Still the main capital tool—50 % must serve < 50 % AMI; $5 M reserved for < 30 % AMI households
- Eviction-Prevention Funds: Plunge from $177 M (2020-24) in federal relief to < $2 M in FY 26
Five Takeaways You Shouldn’t Miss
- Big Bets on Modular—Still Light on Results
Council pushed hard on MMY’s slow output: millions spent, no homes on the ground yet. Continued funding is contingent on visible progress and a clear production schedule. - Trust Fund Shifts Toward Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
Expect at least three new PSH developments. While that helps the city’s lowest-income renters, home-ownership remains just 4 % of Trust-Fund-backed units. - Small Developer Program Getting a Tune-Up
After criticism of long timelines and loose eligibility (developers owning up to 50 units could apply), stricter criteria and faster closings are promised for FY 26. - Eviction-Prevention Cliff Is Real
With pandemic aid gone, only 13 of 17 community ministries will keep direct rental assistance alive—and many will spend part of the tiny pot on admin costs. Council members warned of a potential spike in homelessness. - Repair Services & Land Bank Reforms Could Stall—or Accelerate—Neighborhood Revitalization
Fewer in-house repair crews plus contractor complaints mean longer waits for low-income homeowners. On the flip side, opening the Land Bank’s 800+ lots to multi-parcel bids could finally move vacant land into productive use—if the 12-month build window is eased.
Why It Matters
Housing is where budget line items become lived experience. Bolder capital investments and fresh federal dollars are welcome, but without clear metrics and sustained support services, the people most at risk may never see the benefit. As always, follow-through—and public accountability—will decide whether these dollars turn into rooftops, repaired furnaces, and fewer eviction notices.
Stay tuned; we’ll keep tracking outcomes as the budget moves toward final adoption.