Public transparency is a cornerstone of federal disaster recovery and mitigation programs. Under the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) programs, grantees and their subrecipients are responsible for ensuring program activities are visible, accountable, and accessible to the public. This guidance outlines the regulatory requirements and best practices for using a disaster recovery project webpage to fulfill these obligations, with emphasis on the City's critical role in maintaining transparency.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires public access to information for all entities that receive CDBG funding. Grantees oversee program compliance and pass-through grant administration for subrecipients, including implementing transparency standards through comprehensive documentation and public-facing platforms.
Public Transparency and Access to Information
The City, as a subrecipient of the CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT programs, is subject to all applicable federal requirements of the program(s), including those related to public transparency and accountability, as per 24 CFR 570.500(c).
Defined in 2 CFR 200.328, non-Federal entities receiving pass-through funds are required to submit performance reports at intervals determined by the grantee or federal agency. Reporting must reflect meaningful progress and be accessible to the public, reinforcing the commitment to transparency. As the grantee is responsible for ensuring public access to program records, 24 CFR 570.486(a) further requires subrecipients to maintain and make publicly available program documentation necessary to support this obligation. This includes records of past and proposed use of CDBG funds.
Citizen Complaint Procedures:
The City of Lakeland's goal is to provide an opportunity to resolve citizen complaints in a timely manner, usually within fifteen (15) business days of the receipt of the complaint, if practicable, and to provide the right to participate in the process and appeal a decision when there is reason for an applicant to believe its application was not handled according to program policies.
Anyone who needs to file a complaint or seek additional information, please contact Lana Braddy, Special Projects Coordinator, Public Works, at 863-834-3327 or by email to lana.braddy@lakelandgov.net
If Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, or Late Deafened, please contact the TDD numbers: Local – 863-834-8333 or 800-955-8771 (TDD - Telecommunications Device for the Deaf), or the Florida Relay Service Number 800-955-8770 (VOICE) for assistance.
When reporting, please provide as much information as possible, including:
- Your name and address
- The name and address of the person(s) or organization your allegation is against
- The address or other identification of the housing or program involved
- The Project Name or Grant Account Number in your complaint
- A short description of the event(s) that cause you to believe your rights were violated
- The date(s) of the alleged violation
The City of Lakeland will handle citizen complaints by:
- Conducting investigations, as necessary;
- Finding a resolution, or
- Conducting follow-up actions
Report Housing Discrimination
If you believe your rights may have been violated, we encourage you to report housing discrimination. Because there are time limits on when an allegation can be filed with HUD after an alleged violation, you should report housing discrimination as soon as possible. Please access the following U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
HUD Complaints
Attention: Office of Long-Term Resiliency
Florida Department of Commerce
107 East Madison Street
The Caldwell Building, MSC 420
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
City Fair Housing Contact Information
The City operates in Accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law (The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988). Anyone who feels they have been discriminated against may file a complaint of housing discrimination by contacting:
City of Lakeland Housing, Planning & Housing Division at 863-834-3360 or by email to housing@lakelandgov.net,
Michael Smith, Housing Programs Manager, Community and Economic Development at 863-834-3367, 863-834-6366 or by email to Michael.Smith3@lakelandgov.net
HUD at 1-800-669-9777 (toll-free), 1-800-927-9275 (TTY), or visiting www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
Program Appeals
Citizens may also file a written complaint or appeal with the Office of Long-Term Resiliency by email at CDBG-DR@Commerce.FL.gov or by mail to the following address:
If the complainant is not satisfied with the City’s (Subrecipient’s) determination or FloridaCommerce’s response, then the complainant may file a written appeal by following the instructions issued in the letter of response. If the complainant has not been satisfied with the response at the conclusion of the complaint or appeals process, a formal complaint may then be addressed directly to the regional Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at:
Fair Housing Complaints
Department of Housing & Urban Development
Charles E. Bennet Federal Building
400 West Bay Street, Suite 1015
Jacksonville, FL 32202
