City of Lawrence Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program in Kansas

The City of Lawrence, through the Housing Initiatives Division of the Planning & Development Services Department, invites non-profit and for-profit organizations to submit applications for projects to be funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program as part of the 2023 Annual Action Plan.

Donor Name: City of Lawrence

State: Kansas

City: Lawrence

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 02/10/2023

Size of the Grant: $500,000-$750,000

Grant Duration: 1 year

Details:

Funds are awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to meet a national objective as established by Congress and must be used for an eligible activity for the program.

For Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a Federal HUD program that provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs.  The CDBG entitlement program allocates annual grants to develop viable communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and economic opportunities for income eligible people.

National Objectives

In order to be eligible for funding, every CDBG-funded activity must qualify as meeting one of the three national objectives of the program. Those three objectives are identified as:

Benefiting Low- and Moderate- Income (LMI) Persons (at least 70% of the funds must be used in this category)

The criteria for how an activity may be considered to benefit LMI persons are divided into four subcategories:

  • Those based on Area Benefit
  • Those serving a LMI Limited Clientele
    • These categories include:
      • abused children,
      • elderly persons,
      • battered spouses,
      • homeless persons,
      • adults meeting Bureau of Census’ definition of severely disabled persons,
      • illiterate adults,
      • persons living with AIDS, and
      • migrant farm workers
  • Those involving LMI Housing, and
  • Those involving LMI Jobs.

Preventing or Eliminating Slums or Blight

Meeting Urgent Needs

Priorities

Funding priority will be given to activities that:

  • provide services that respond to critical, identifiable and unmet needs;
  • addresses one of the outcome areas identified in the City’s Strategic Plan;
  • addresses priority needs outlined in the Consolidated Plan;
  • have a high benefit to low-income persons;
  • are clearly defined as to scope, location, need, budget, goals, beneficiaries and means for evaluation of program progress, with evaluation criteria that are specific, measurable, and realistic;
  • present a reasonable, sound budget and have a clear sustainability plan that is consistent with the budget and that demonstrates that the applicant has the capacity and the capability to implement the proposed plan successfully;
  • maximize the use of outside funds (non-CDBG or other City funds);
  • support or coordinate with other community development efforts; and
  • provide a housing or neighborhood benefit as described in the “Step Up to Better Housing” strategy

For HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME

The HOME Investments Partnerships Program (HOME) provides HUD grants that communities use – often in partnership with local nonprofit groups – to fund a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to income eligible people.

Policies

  • Grantees who receive funds in one year are not guaranteed future funding; funding is dependent on many factors including past performance;
  • Throughout the affordability period, the HOME-assisted housing must be occupied by income-eligible households:
    • Rental Housing: When a unit becomes vacant during the affordability period, the subsequent tenant must be income-eligible and must be charged the applicable HOME rent.
    • Homebuyer assistance: If a home purchased or built with HOME assistance is sold during the affordability period, resale or recapture provisions apply to ensure the continued provision of affordable ownership.
  • Specific eligible and prohibited activities are identified under § 92.205 to 92.214.

Funding Information

For Program Year 2023, the City anticipates available CDBG funding to be approximately $750,000 and HOME funding to be approximately $500,000 plus any program income and/or reallocation of previous unused grant funds.

Project Period

The 2023 Annual Action Plan will include projects to be undertaken during the program year beginning August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024.

Eligible Applicants

Public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit entities are all eligible to apply to City of Lawrence for HOME funds. Fund recipients are classified into one of three categories:

  • Subrecipients: A subrecipient is a public agency or nonprofit housing service provider selected by the City of Lawrence to administer HOME-assisted projects or programs.
  • Developers, Owners, Sponsors: For-profit entities, housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, and CHDOs can receive HOME funds in the roles of developers, owners, and sponsors of eligible activities.
  • Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO): A CHDO is a private nonprofit organization which meets certain specific criteria, including having IRS tax exempt status, a mission/purpose related to housing and service to a low-income community, and  a board composition which includes one-third low- income residents or their representatives.

For more information, visit CDBG and HOME Grants.