Federal dollars for affordable housing, homeless services and home repairs in Walnut Creek are now governed by a new five-year spending blueprint that will guide priorities through June 30, 2030.
The city is one of four independent entitlement jurisdictions in the Contra Costa Consortium, alongside Antioch, Concord and Pittsburg. Together with the county's Urban County designation, the consortium's 2025-2030 Consolidated Plan is now in effect as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plan governs three federal grant streams: Community Development Block Grant funds, HOME Investment Partnerships Act dollars and Emergency Solutions Grant money.
Walnut Creek receives its own separate CDBG allocation. HOME funds, by contrast, are pooled consortium-wide and distributed across all member jurisdictions.
What the money pays for
Under the plan, federal funds can build new affordable rental housing, assist first-time homebuyers, rehabilitate homes for lower-income and senior households, construct supportive housing for people with special needs and fund services for homeless residents and low-income families.
The city's current-year CDBG grants already reflect those priorities. According to Walnut Creek's housing programs page, FY 2025-2026 awardees include Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley for housing rehabilitation, Trinity Center for its day program and winter evening shelter, Meals on Wheels Diablo Region, ECHO Housing for fair housing and tenant-landlord counseling, and Community Violence Solutions for child sexual assault intervention services.
Other grantees fund crisis hotlines, foster children advocacy, senior legal services and culinary arts job training.
How the plan was shaped
The consortium held five in-person public meetings in March and April 2024, one virtual session in June 2024 and two stakeholder focus groups on affordable housing and homeless services in June and July 2024. An online community survey ran from Feb. 20, 2024 through July 2024. Topics covered included affordable housing, homelessness, economic development, senior services and youth programs.
The previous Consolidated Plan covered 2020-2025. A National Alliance to End Homelessness report published in May noted that Contra Costa County added 34% more shelter and housing beds between 2023 and 2025, growing capacity from 2,833 to 3,787 beds countywide.
How residents can weigh in
Each year under the five-year plan, the consortium adopts an annual Action Plan specifying which projects and organizations receive funding. The FY 2025-2026 Action Plan is already in effect; the FY 2026-2027 cycle is in process.
Walnut Creek residents who want input on how federal housing dollars are spent locally can call the city at 925-943-5899, extension 2208.
