Community Development Block Program (CDBG) - Community Development (CD)

Purpose

To fund housing activities, public works, community facilities, public service projects serving lower-income people, and planning and evaluation studies related to any activity eligible for these allocations, and set-aside for Native American and Colonia.

Assistance Type and Terms

CDBG funds are provided as grants.  Maximum grant amounts vary by activity and run between $600,000 and $1,500,000, not including additional amounts available under the Native American and Colonia allocations.  Grants must address one of three national objectives: 1) benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, or 3) to meet an urgent need.  Planning and Technical Assistance (PTA) grants may be up to $100,000 for one or two studies per funding round per jurisdiction.  

Eligible Activities

Housing

• Includes single- and multi-family rehabilitation, rental housing acquisition or homeownership assistance, and activities that support new housing construction.

Public Improvements

• Includes water and wastewater systems, rural electrification, and utilities such as gas services.

Community Facilities

• Includes day care centers, domestic violence shelters, food banks, community centers, medical and dental facilities, and fire stations.

Public Services

• Includes staff and operating costs associated with the community facilities.

Planning and Technical Assistance (PTA)

• Includes studies and plans for housing, public works, and community facilities that meet CDBG national objectives and provide principal benefit to low-income persons.

Native American Allocation

• Housing and housing-related activities.
• Water, sewer, and housing.

Colonia Allocation

• Housing, including single- and multi-family rehabilitation, rental housing acquisition or homeownership assistance, and activities that support new housing construction.

Eligible Applicants

CD and PTA Allocations  

• Non-entitlement jurisdictions [cities with populations under 50,000 and counties with populations under 200,000 in unincorporated areas that do not participate in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) CDBG entitlement program].

Native American Allocation  

• Non-entitlement jurisdictions that apply to assist non-federally-recognized Native American communities.

Colonia Allocation  

• Distressed jurisdictions within 150 miles of the California-Mexico border that contain Colonia as defined by the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990.

Application Procedure

Applications are invited through an annual Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) in January of each year. Applications are evaluated and scored on a variety of factors which may include need, capacity, prior CDBG grant performance, and poverty in the applicant community.  PTA applications are received over the counter and processed until funding is depleted.  PTA funding is usually oversubscribed and depleted by the NOFA application deadline.