The Community Development Block Grant ( CDBG ) Program is authorized under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, ( the Act ) as amended. CDBG grew out of the consolidation of eight categorical programs under which communities competed nationally for funds.

The primary objective of the Act is the development of viable urban communities. These viable communities are achieved by providing the following, principally for persons of low and moderate income:

• Decent housing;
• A suitable living environment; and
• Expanded economic opportunities.

To achieve these goals, the CDBG regulations outline eligible activities and the national objective that each activity must meet.

The following activities related to real property are eligible under the CDBG program: acquisition; disposition; public facilities and improvements; clearance and demolition; interim assistance to arrest severe deterioration or alleviate emergency conditions; completion of urban renewal projects; housing services in connection with HOME Investment Partnership Program activities; homeownership assistance; rehabilitation; Code Enforcement; historic preservation; renovation of closed buildings; and, lead-based paint testing and abatement.

Micro-enterprise assistance and special economic development activities are eligible.

The CDBG regulations are very broad and allow the use of grant funds for a wide range of public service activities, including, but not limited to: employment services ( job training ); crime prevention; child care; health services; substance abuse services ( counseling and treatment ); fair housing counseling; energy conservation; welfare services ( excluding income payments ); down payment assistance; and, recreational services. CDBG funds may be used to pay for labor, supplies and material as well as to operate and/or maintain the portion of a facility in which the public service is located. This includes the lease of a facility, equipment and other property needed for the public service. To utilize CDBG funds for a public service, the service must be either: a new service, or a quantifiable increase in the level of an existing services.

CDBG funds may also be used to provide grants or loans to Community Based Development Organizations ( CBDO ) to carry out the following types of projects: neighborhood revitalization; community economic development; or energy conservation.

Certain other types of activities are also eligible under CDBG, including: payment of non-Federal share of grants in connection with CDBG-assisted and -eligible activities; relocation assistance; loss of rental income; or, technical assistance to public or nonprofit entities to increase the capacity of such entities to carry out eligible neighborhood or economic development activities.

It is also permissible to spend CDBG funds for planning activities such as: comprehensive plans; community development plans; functional plans (for housing; land use and urban environmental design; economic development; open space and recreation; energy use and conservation; floodplain and wetlands management; transportation; utilities; historic preservation; etc.); Other plans and studies (small area and neighborhood plans; capital improvements program plans; individual project plans; general environmental; urban environmental design; historic preservation studies; etc.); and policy planning, management and capacity building activities.

Finally, within certain caps and constraints, grantees may use CDBG funds for program administration activities. Such activities might include general management, oversight, and coordination; public information; fair housing activities; indirect costs; submission of applications for Federal programs; or costs to pursue Section 17 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

Activities funded with CDBG funds must meet one of the three national objectives:

• Benefit to low- and moderate-income persons;
• Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight; and
• Meet a need having a particular urgency.

Hillsborough County advertises on an annual basis with a Request for Applications ( RFA ) and outlines the process for applying for CDBG funds by not-for-profit organizations, which provide housing assistance needs, and for County Departments to apply.

The funds made available through this RFA for housing assistance are to meet the needs to citizens of unincorporated Hillsborough County and the cities of Plant City and Temple Terrace. Organizations seeking funding under this RFA must be a not-for-profit organization, incorporated by the State of Florida at least one year, and have a tax ruling from the Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) under Section 501( c )( 3 ) or 501( d ) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Hillsborough County requires all organizations applying for CDBG funds to "leverage funds" from other funding sources and not to rely on Hillsborough County's CDBG funds as a sole source of operating revenue. A pre-application workshop is offered in accordance with the RFA schedule for the purpose of answering questions from organizations that are submitting applications for the first time.

All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by staff of the Affordable Housing Office and/or an independent committee. Applications will be evaluated based on the RFA requirements. Organizations whose applications are found to be non-responsive according to the disqualification criteria will receive a formal Notice of Disqualification. All remaining applications will be will be rated by the staff and the respective organizations will receive a notification of the staff's recommendation regarding their application. Disqualified organizations may file a written appeal documenting substantive reason(s) that refute findings upon which the staff/committee's funding recommendation is presented to the department director. The Board of County Commissioners makes the final decision regarding organizations' funding.

For more information call (813)274-6600.

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