Community Development Block Grant
The 2024 program year is the 42nd year
that the Governor of the State of Utah elected to administer the Small Cities
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, the purpose of which is:
"To assist in developing viable urban communities by providing decent housing, suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income (LMI)." The Five County Association of Governments has been designated by the State of Utah to receive and evaluate applications for (CDBG) funds within the southwest region. All CDBG projects are required by Congressional mandate to meet at least one of three identifiable "National Objectives" in order to qualify for funding. The three "National Objectives" are: 1) low and moderate income (LMI) benefit; 2) aiding in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight; and 3) urgent health and welfare compliance.
Projects are also reviewed for compliance
with a state prepared Consolidated Plan. The Five County Association of
Governments prepares a One-Year Action Plan annually that is incorporated
into the statewide Consolidated Plan.
Traditionally, the majority of CDBG funds in Southwestern Utah have been allocated to "brick and mortar" projects such as fire stations, culinary water systems, wastewater systems, etc. A portion of the allocation has also been used on projects intended to eliminate architectural barriers which limit access by disabled persons, payment of sewer connection fees, be used as leverage for other housing funding for affordable housing projects undertaken by local housing authorities and community housing development organizations, and provide technical planning assistance. The prioritization of projects is made by local elected officials who are best suited to determine local needs and priorities than a distant non-elected bureaucrat.
The Small Cities CDBG
Program is available in all of the five county area (Beaver, Garfiled, Iron,
Kane and Washington Counties.) T
he only exception is the City of St. George, which is a HUD Entitlement City. The City of St. George recieves an annual allocation of funding directly from HUD. Projects within the City of St. George are applied directly to that City. Please contact our Community Development Block Grant Program Specialist Cody Christensen (see below) for more information on this program.
Each
year notification is sent by the State of Utah CDBG office to the FCAOG indicating
that the CDBG program will continue for another year. The FCAOG then formally
notifies each jurisdiction in the region of the new program year along with
an announcement of the upcoming dates of the CDBG Application Workshops.
The Five County Association of Governments, in conjunction with the State of Utah Division of Housing & Community Development, conducts two duplicate Application Workshops, more commonly referred to as the "How-to-Apply" application workshops. These are typically held in October or early November. Please contact Cody Christensen (see his information below) for information on the Hoow to Apply workshops. Each year, the "How to Apply" workshops are advertised on this website homepage, once they are scheduled. Each jurisdiction which intends to apply for funding for its own project, or to sponsor an eligible subgrantee, such as a not-for-profit organization, is required to have an elected official attend one of the two workshops. Any jurisdiction that is contemplating applying for CDBG funding must assign at least one elected official from their governing body to attend one of the two scheduled workshops, whether you are applying directly, or if you are sponsoring another entity through your jurisdiction. A representative of the “other entity” must also be in attendance with the elected official. As mentioned, these workshops will be held in October or early November. All cities, towns, and counties are notified of these workshops.
All applications that are received by
an announced application deadline (usually in early January) are reviewed
by both FCAOG staff and state CDBG staff for completeness and threshold
eligibility.
Complete, threshold eligible, project applications are then subjected to a comprehensive regional rating and ranking procedure using criteria regional developed and approved by the FCAOG Steering Committee.
All threshold eligible projects are thoroughly
evaluated utilizing a regional rating and ranking criteria matrix that was
developed by the Community Development program staff and approved each August
by formal motion by the Association's Steering Committee.
The criteria is approved each year prior to the beginning of a new funding cycle for CDBG so that prospective applicants can know before hand how their potential projects will be evaluated if applied for. If you would like to view/print the 2024 Program Year Rating & Ranking Criteria, please CLICK HERE. If you would like to view/print the 2024 Program Year Annual Action Plan, please CLICK HERE.
For more information on the CDBG program,
please contact:
Cody Christensen, Associate Planner Phone: (435) 673-3548, extension 165 Fax: (435) 673-3540 
Please click on this link to e-mail Cody: cchristensen@fivecounty.utah.gov |
