Community Development Block Grants

Community Development Block Grant Overview 

For several decades, Southwest Region Planning Commission has been proud to serve its member municipalities as grant writer and administrator for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The CDBG program is a flexible federal grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that can be used to accomplish critical community and economic development projects that have a primary benefit for low- and moderate-income people. 

In New Hampshire, CDBG funding is competitively awarded by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (NH CDFA) to municipalities and counties. Municipalities can apply for up to $500,000 per project across a wide range of eligible activities. While the program is an important source of federal funds, applying for and administering CDBG funds can be a daunting prospect for potential applicants. CDBG funding is subject to a suite of state and federal requirements that can be time consuming and cumbersome to navigate.  

Southwest Region Planning Commission staff members are well experienced in the art of applying for and administering CDBG funds and can lead prospective cities, towns, and counties from the application process to successful project implementation. We offer CDBG grant writing and administrative services at no charge to our member municipalities. If there is a project in your community that may be a candidate for CDBG funding, please contact us to talk about how the CDBG program may be able to help implement your community and economic development goals. 

Eligible Activities 

Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding can be used for a wide range of activities where at least 51% of those who benefit have low- and moderate-incomes. Below is an overview of grant categories for the program including maximum award amounts, eligible activities and application deadlines:

Maximum Award:

$500,000 per municipality, per program year

Eligible Activities:

  1. Rehabilitation of rental and owner-occupied housing 
  2. Construction of new housing by certified Community Based Development Organizations 
  3. Property acquisition, infrastructure, and site work in support of new housing construction 

Application Deadline:

Last Monday of January and July annually

Maximum Award:

$500,000 per municipality, per program year

Eligible Activities:

  1. Construction, reconstruction, or replacement of public and private water and sewer infrastructure 
  2. Construction or rehabilitation of community centers, homeless shelters, or other neighborhood facilities where public services are provided 
  3. Constructing elderly/handicapped access to existing public buildings and property 
  4. Acquiring, constructing, reconstructing or rehabilitating public property including streets, parks, malls, walkways, and other public property 

Application Deadline:

Last Monday of January and July annually

Maximum Award:

$500,000 per municipality, per program year

Eligible Activities:

  1. Acquiring, constructing, reconstructing, or rehabilitating commercial or industrial buildings 
  2. Providing loans to businesses by nonprofits to capitalize a revolving loan fund 
  3. Public facility and infrastructure improvements in support of economic development 

Application Deadline:

Rolling as funds remain available

Maximum Award:

$500,000 per municipality, per program year

Eligible Activities:

  1. Providing direct technical assistance to small businesses with five or less full-time employees 
  2. Loan assistance to small businesses with five or less full-time employees 

Application Deadline:

Varies, generally each March annually

Maximum Award:

$25,000 per municipality per program year

Eligible Activities:

Costs for studying the feasibility of any activities listed in other categories, such as for the rehabilitation of housing or business park expansion projects

Application Deadline:

Rolling as funds remain available 

Maximum Award:

$350,000 per municipality for communities with a population under 10,000; $500,000 per municipality for communities with a population over 10,000

Eligible Activities:

  1. Any activity eligible in other categories which provide immediate relief to emergencies or anticipated events which have serious and immediate threat to the public health or safety 
  2. Activities which provide relief in the case of unanticipated actions which have resulted in plant closures or permanent layoffs to employees jeopardizing the economic stability of the community

Application Deadline:

Rolling as funds remain available


loading..