Through targeted federal funding and local investment, the City of Round Rock continues to address critical needs in housing, neighborhood infrastructure and social services for its most vulnerable residents.
On July 10, Round Rock City Council approved the City’s 2025–2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Action Plan, officially authorizing how $672,184 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be spent over the coming year. The funds will support a combination of public service programs, critical home repairs and program administration. As a HUD-designated entitlement community, Round Rock is required to submit this action plan each year to remain eligible for funding.
Last year, the City of Round Rock received an allocation of $642,233 in CDBG funds from HUD. The funding supported improvements at Greenhill Park, home repairs for disabled or elderly residents and the work of select nonprofits, including the Round Rock Area Serving Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), and Opportunities for Williamson-Burnet Counties Meals on Wheels.
On Thursday, $136,921 was set aside for the Home Repair and Neighborhood Services Program, which provides essential home repairs such as accessibility upgrades and HVAC replacements for low- to moderate-income homeowners, and another $300,000 was allocated for sidewalks.
The Round Rock Area Serving Center received a $60,000 allocation this year, with half designated for its food pantry and the other half for its housing assistance program. CASA and Meals on Wheels received $20,000 and $20,827, respectively.
In addition to home repairs, the City has previously used CDBG funds to build new sidewalks, install bus shelters in low- to moderate-income areas, and more through its Home Repair and Neighborhood Services Program.
CASA annually serves up to 100 Round Rock children who are in Child Protective Services custody. Funding enables CASA supervisors and volunteers to support and provide representation in court for those children.
“The Child Protective Services system is a scary place for a child,” said Christina Clary of CASA of Williamson County. “Even though they are being taken out of an unsafe environment, they often lose everything they know and depend on—their parents, the rest of their family, their home, their school, their friends and so much more. The funding made possible by CDBG has allowed hundreds of Round Rock children who have been abused or neglected to not go through this difficult time by themselves, but with a CASA Volunteer by their side—advocating for them, supporting them and making sure each of those children are the focus and remain the priority in an overburdened and difficult system.”
Meals on Wheels regularly serves 35 to 40 people at the Allen R. Baca Center in Round Rock, its largest congregate site in Williamson County. That’s in addition to approximately 135 homebound clients regularly assisted by Meals on Wheels in the Round Rock area.
“[CDBG grant funding] is very important,” said Sharla Mikeska, Opportunities for Williamson-Burnet Counties Meals on Wheels director. “We’re continuing to grow, so we’re extremely thankful for that funding source.”
In addition to the federal funds allocated to public service agencies, the City of Round Rock considers an additional contribution $250,000 from its general fund through its annual budgeting process. Round Rock is among a small number of Texas cities that supplement federal grant funds with local dollars to support social services at this scale. In past years, general fund social services funding has supported a range of local nonprofits, including Senior Access, Hope Alliance, Sacred Heart Community Clinic, Foundation Communities and the Round Rock Area Serving Center.
Learn more about the City’s CDBG program at roundrocktexas.gov/cdbg.
