(a) Applicability and adoption of the citizen participation plan—(1) When citizen participation plan must be amended. The State is required to adopt a citizen participation plan that sets forth the State's policies and procedures for citizen participation. (Where a State, before August 17, 2015, adopted a citizen participation plan, it will need to amend the citizen participation plan to comply with provisions of this section.)

(2) Encouragement of citizen participation. (i) The citizen participation plan must provide for and encourage citizens to participate in the development of the consolidated plan, any substantial amendments to the consolidated plan, and the performance report. These requirements are designed especially to encourage participation by low- and moderate-income persons, particularly those living in slum and blighted areas and in areas where CDBG funds are proposed to be used and by residents of predominantly low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. A State must take appropriate actions to encourage the participation of all its residents, including minorities and non-English speaking persons, as provided in paragraph (a)(4) of this section, as well as persons with disabilities.

(ii) The State shall encourage the participation of Statewide and regional institutions, Continuums of Care, and other organizations (including businesses, developers, nonprofit organizations, philanthropic organizations, and community-based and faith-based organizations) that are involved with or affected by the programs or activities covered by the consolidated plan in the process of developing and implementing the consolidated plan. Commencing with consolidated plans submitted in or after January 1, 2018, the State shall also encourage the participation of public and private organizations, including broadband internet service providers, organizations engaged in narrowing the digital divide, agencies whose primary responsibilities include the management of flood prone areas, public land or water resources, and emergency management agencies in the process of developing the consolidated plan.

(iii) The State should also explore alternative public involvement techniques that encourage a shared vision of change for the community and the review of program performance; e.g., use of focus groups and use of the Internet.

(3) Citizen and local government comment on the citizen participation plan and amendments. The State must provide citizens and units of general local government a reasonable opportunity to comment on the original citizen participation plan and on substantial amendments to the citizen participation plan, and must make the citizen participation plan public. The citizen participation plan must be in a format accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request.

(4) Language assistance for those with limited English proficiency. The citizen participation plan shall describe the State's procedures for assessing its language needs and identify any need for translation of notices and other vital documents. At a minimum, the citizen participation plan shall require the State to make reasonable efforts to provide language assistance to ensure meaningful access to participation by non-English speaking persons.

(b) Development of the consolidated plan. The citizen participation plan must include the following minimum requirements for the development of the consolidated plan:

(1) The citizen participation plan must require that, before the State adopts a consolidated plan, the State will make available to its residents, public agencies, and other interested parties information that includes the amount of assistance the State expects to receive and the range of activities that may be undertaken, including the estimated amount that will benefit persons of low- and moderate-income and the plans to minimize displacement of persons and to assist any persons displaced. The citizen participation plan must state when and how the State will make this information available.

(2) The citizen participation plan must require the State to publish the proposed consolidated plan in a manner that affords residents, units of general local governments, public agencies, and other interested parties a reasonable opportunity to examine the document's content and to submit comments. The citizen participation plan must set forth how the State will make publicly available the proposed consolidated plan and give reasonable opportunity to examine each document's content. To ensure that the consolidated plan and the PHA plan are informed by meaningful community participation, program participants should employ communications means designed to reach the broadest audience. Such communications may be met by publishing a summary of each document in one or more newspapers of general circulation, and by making copies of each document available on the internet, on the grantee's official government website, and as well at libraries, government offices, and public places. The summary must describe the content and purpose of the consolidated plan, and must include a list of the locations where copies of the entire proposed document(s) may be examined. In addition, the State must provide a reasonable number of free copies of the plan to its residents and groups that request a copy of the plan.

(3) The citizen participation plan must provide for at least one public hearing on housing and community development needs before the proposed consolidated plan is published for comment.

(i) The citizen participation plan must state how and when adequate advance notice of the hearing will be given to residents, with sufficient information published about the subject of the hearing to permit informed comment. (Publishing small print notices in the newspaper a few days before the hearing does not constitute adequate notice. Although HUD is not specifying the length of notice required, HUD would consider 2 weeks adequate.)

(ii) The citizen participation plan must provide that the hearing be held at a time and accessible location convenient to potential and actual beneficiaries, and with accommodation for persons with disabilities. The citizen participation plan must specify how it will meet these requirements.

(iii) The citizen participation plan must identify how the needs of non-English speaking residents will be met in the case of a public hearing where a significant number of non-English speaking residents can be reasonably expected to participate.

(4) The citizen participation plan must provide a period, of not less than 30 calendar days, to receive comments from residents and units of general local government on the consolidated plan.

(5) The citizen participation plan shall require the State to consider any comments or views of its residents and units of general local government received in writing, or orally at the public hearings, in preparing the final consolidated plan. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons therefore, shall be attached to the final consolidated plan (as applicable).

(c) Amendments—(1) Criteria for amendment to consolidated plan. The citizen participation plan must specify the criteria the State will use for determining what changes in the State's planned or actual activities constitute a substantial amendment to the consolidated plan. (See § 91.505.) The citizen participation plan must include, among the criteria for a consolidated plan, substantial amendment changes in the method of distribution of such funds.

(2) The citizen participation plan must provide residents and units of general local government with reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment on consolidated plan substantial amendments. The citizen participation plan must state how reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment will be given. The citizen participation plan must provide a period, of not less than 30 calendar days, to receive comments on the consolidated plan substantial amendment before the consolidated plan substantial amendment is implemented.

(3) The citizen participation plan shall require the State to consider any comments or views of its residents and units of general local government received in writing, or orally at public hearings, if any, in preparing the substantial amendment of the consolidated plan. A summary of these comments or views, and a summary of any comments or views not accepted and the reasons why, shall be attached to the substantial amendment of the consolidated plan.

(d) Performance Reports. (1) The citizen participation plan must provide citizens with reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment on performance reports. The citizen participation plan must state how reasonable notice and an opportunity to comment will be given. The citizen participation plan must provide a period, not less than 15 days, to receive comments on the performance report that is to be submitted to HUD before its submission.

(2) The citizen participation plan shall require the state to consider any comments or views of citizens received in writing, or orally at public hearings in preparing the performance report. A summary of these comments or views shall be attached to the performance report.

(e) Citizen participation requirements for local governments. The citizen participation plan must describe the citizen participation requirements for units of general local government receiving CDBG funds from the State in 24 CFR 570.486. The citizen participation plan must explain how the requirements will be met.

(f) Availability to the public. The citizen participation plan must provide that the consolidated plan as adopted, consolidated plan substantial amendments and the performance report will be available to the public, including the availability of materials in a form accessible to persons with disabilities, upon request. The citizen participation plan must state how these documents will be available to the public.

(g) Access to records. The citizen participation plan must require the State to provide its residents, public agencies, and other interested parties with reasonable and timely access to information and records relating to the State's consolidated plan and use of assistance under the programs covered by this part during the preceding 5 years.

(h) Complaints. The citizen participation plan shall describe the State's appropriate and practicable procedures to handle complaints from its residents related to the consolidated plan, consolidated plan amendments, and the performance report. At a minimum, the citizen participation plan shall require that the State must provide a timely, substantive written response to every written resident complaint, within an established period of time (within 15 working days, where practicable, if the State is a CDBG grant recipient).

(i) Use of citizen participation plan. The State must follow its citizen participation plan.