Tackling the 5-Year Plan: Allovance Empowers Battle Creek’s Community Development

Introduction

The City of Battle Creek has always been a cornerstone of Michigan’s growth, renowned for its vibrant community and commitment to equitable development. The city’s Community Planning Department plays a pivotal role in shaping this future, overseeing initiatives that align with federal requirements while addressing local needs. With a mission to foster sustainable growth, the department faced a critical challenge: developing a 5-Year Consolidated Plan that truly reflects community priorities—amid the complexity of multi-stakeholder alignment.

The Challenge 

The City of Battle Creek’s Community Development Department needed to create a plan that aligned with HUD and Fair Housing Act requirements. This involved coordinating a Strategic Team comprising city staff, partner organization leaders, and community leaders.

To navigate these complexities, the City of Battle Creek sought assistance from Allovance. By utilizing Allovance’s 5-step process and software, the city successfully crafted a Consolidated Plan that more accurately reflected community priorities.

The result? A living plan that adapts to new challenges—used weekly to guide decisions—and has already redirected $300,000 from low-value programs to high-impact projects.

• Collaborative Alignment: Stakeholders reached consensus faster, reducing friction in tough decisions.
• Transparency: Clear scoring criteria built trust with the community and funders.
• Flexibility and Scalability: From multi-year budgets to urgent small-scale decisions, Allovance adapted to every need.

Download the full case study to see how Battle Creek transformed planning into action—and how your organization can too.