DHCR Announces $1 Million in NYS CDBG Planning Grants Available

New Resources to Work with Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative

ALBANY, NY (06/04/2010)(readMedia)-- The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) announced the availability of approximately $1,000,000 in funding for the NYS Community Development Block Grant (NYS CDBG) Community Planning Program.

DHCR Commissioner Brian Lawlor said, "Advance planning is a critical component of successful economic development and community revitalization. Under this program, eligible cities, towns, villages, and counties in New York State can apply for grants of up to $40,000 to help produce community and economic development plans that will identify and prioritize local needs and challenges and establish clear strategies to address them."

Challenges and needs to be addressed in the plans include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable & Workforce Housing

• Economic Development

• Main Street, Downtown, or Neighborhood Revitalization

• Shared Municipal Services & Local Government Efficiency

• Expanding Access to Broadband

• Smart Growth & Sustainable Initiatives

The planning grants could be used in conjunction with the recently announced Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative proposed by Governor Paterson earlier this year as a means to address the vacant housing crisis plaguing upstate New York cities. Applicants for that program are required to submit a comprehensive plan to revitalize communities and create new, affordable homeownership opportunities by rehabilitating vacant and abandoned buildings and making them available to first-time homebuyers.

Up to $500,000 of the CDBG Community Planning resources will be set aside to fund development plans that focus on Main Street, Downtown, or Neighborhood Revitalization strategies for eligible communities. Municipalities applying for this set-aside will focus on strategies to expand downtown housing on upper floors above commercial and retail office space and the redevelopment of local landmarks or "Anchor Buildings."

Applicants should also identify additional potential funding sources, including federal, state, local, and private resources. Applicants will be required to provide one-third of the total development costs of their plan, which must be in the form of general, program, or private funds and/or relevant, professional in-kind services.

Additional information on the CDBG Community Planning Program is available at:

http://nysdhcr.gov/Programs/NYS-CDBG/Funding.htm

Applications must be submitted to DHCR's Office of Community Renewal (address: Hampton Plaza 38-40 State Street, 9th Floor, Albany, NY 12207-2804) by 4:00 p.m. on July 19, 2010 or postmarked no later than the deadline.

The CDBG program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and consists of two components: an entitlement program that generally provides funding directly to larger and urban communities and a State CDBG Program which provides funding to non-entitlement communities.

The New York State Community Development Block Grant (NYS CDBG) Program is administered by DHCR through its Office of Community Renewal. Communities which are eligible for funds through New York State program include cities, towns, and villages having a population under 50,000, and counties with an unincorporated population of fewer than 200,000.

-30-