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You Are Here: Home / Community Development Block Grant Program / Frequently Asked Questions: Community Development
Frequently Asked Questions: Community Development
Community Development Block Grant Program
Frequently Asked Questions |
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1. How does it work?
2. What can CDBG funds be use for?
3. What is the Consolidated Plan?
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How does it work?
Annually, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocates federal funds to the County of Maui, in the amount of approximately $1,800,000. At that time, the County publishes a series of Public Notices in the newspaper to solicit proposals for proposed projects from the following organizations: Public (government); Private Non-Profit exempt from federal income tax; Community-Based Development Organization (CBDO) as defined in 24 CFR 570.204; or For- Profit Entity under the provision 24 CFR 570.203.
Approximately 10 weeks will elapse from the time the notices are published until proposals must be submitted to the Mayor's Office for review. These applications are ranked and rated according to national objective priorities. Next, a proposed "Resolution" is submitted to the Mayor for approval. Once this is done, the "Resolution" then goes to the Budget Committee for consideration and then to the Full Council for final approval on the proposed project(s).
The final step is for the County to prepare a "master application" to HUD, which includes all of the approved projects. Once HUD reviews the County's application and approves it, and after contracts are drafted and environmental requirements are met, the funds become available for project implementation. The entire process takes about twelve months from beginning to end before the actual project implementation can begin.
As with any federal program, there are many conditions which must be complied with, however, our Maui office will make every effort to assist you and keep the process as simple as possible. |
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What can CDBG funds be used for?
Proposed activities under the CDBG Program must meet one of the following national objectives:
- Principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons or families;
- Aid in the prevention or elimination of slum or blight;
- Urgent need (serious threat to community health or welfare).
Activities that are eligible to be funded under 24 CFR part 570.200-207 range from:
- Real Property Acquisition
- Public Facilities and Improvements
- Public Services
- Housing Rehabilitation
- Removal of Architectural Barriers
- Special Economic Development Activities
- Historic Preservation, and
- Community Development Planning.
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What is the Consolidated Plan?
The Consolidated Plan is the effort to roll into one process and one document, the planning, application, and performance reporting requirements of five programs run by CPD (Community Planning and Development) at HUD:
- CDBG (Community Development Block Grant)
- HOME (a kind of block grant just for affordable housing)
- CHAS (Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy)
- ESG (Emergency Shelter Grant Program of the McKinney Homelessness Act)
- HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People with Aids)
The Consolidated Plan is more than just a "plan" because it covers:
- CDBG's
- Community Development Plan
- Statement of Objectives
- Grantee Performance Report
- HOME's
- Program Description
- Annual Performance Report
- CHAS's
- Five-Year Strategy
- Annual Plan
- Annual Performance Report
- ESG's
- Comprehensive Homeless Assistance Plan (CHAP)
- Application
- HOPWA's
- Application
The Consolidated Plan is a potential tool for building the general influence and power of low income people. Every year an annual "Action Plan" is submitted by the CDBG Department which states how Maui County intends to spend its CPD funds and to otherwise work toward achieving the goals it set for itself in the long-term "Strategic Plan" portion of the Consolidated Plan.
The long-term Stategic Plan part of the Consolidated Plan looks at the housing and community development needs of low income people and the inventory of housing in the community. It also looks at money that is available, or that could be made available, to meet housing and community development needs. Then the Strategic Plan describes what the state or Maui County's priorities are for programs and policies to meet the housing and community needs of low income people.
In short, the Consolidated Plan requires the jurisdiction to identify all of its housing and community development needs, and then come up with a long-term strategy for meeting those needs. A key part of the strategy is setting priorities. |
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General 
