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Community Development
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
This program provides communities throughout the Commonwealth with resources to implement an array of community and economic development projects. The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers these federal funds and offers several programs designed to address a range of community and economic needs.
The following projects are eligible for funding under the Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant Program:
Architectural Barrier Removal
Removal of material or architectural barriers in buildings, streets or sidewalks, and parks, etc. In order to make programs and services accessible.
Assistance to for-profit entities
Loans and technical assistance programs for small (but not micro, i.e., 5 or fewer employees) businesses, whether administered by public or non-profit organizations.
Commercial Rehabilitation
Projects that assist commercial property owners to improve their storefronts, including signs.
Demolition/Clearance
Demolition/clearance projects.
Housing Rehabilitation
Loans or grants to rehabilitate substandard housing, whether occupied by low and moderate income homeowners or tenants; includes cost of temporary relocation of income-eligible households.
Other Housing
First-time homebuyer assistance; rehabilitation of existing structures for use as shelters, SRO's single site housing rehabilitation, transitional housing, etc.; site development costs only for new housing construction; code enforcement; substantial reconstruction.
Infrastructure
Projects to upgrade existing or construct new infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, drainage, water, sewer, commercial or industrial improvements.
Micro enterprise Assistance
Loans, technical assistance, marketing, business support services exclusively for micro businesses, defined as a business with 5 or fewer employees, 1 or more of whom owns the business; use of CDBG funds to administer micro loan programs capitalized with non-CDBG resources.
Planning
Planning and pre-development assistance; market Analyses, planning required to develop social service or housing activities that will be carried out in future years, urban design studies.
Public Facilities
Such as Senior Centers, neighborhood facilities, youth centers, parks and playgrounds, other facilities serving a public purpose, whether carried out by a public or non-profit organization.
Public Social Services
Provision of public social services such as day care, job training, housing counseling, services for the elderly, etc.; and social services designed to support owners or developers of micro businesses.
For more information on this program, please call 413-499-1630, extension 141.