Description | Programs | General Eligibility | How to Apply
Reports | Additional Help | Contact | Language Services

Description

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and Home Opportunities (HOME) Program are housed in the Planning and Evaluation Unit of the Dane County Department of Human Services. The Unit works through community-based groups on projects to strengthen communities and to expand opportunities for low-and-moderate income households throughout Dane County. The Unit invests in community-based groups that forward the priorities to:

• Create decent, affordable housing
• Create suitable living environments
• Expand economic opportunities

The 13-member Dane County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Commision provides oversight for the CDBG program. The Commission is charged with addressing policy issues related to housing and community development and with recommending eligible projects, activities, and contracts to the County Board of Supervisors and County Executive.

To receive its annual entitlement grants, Dane County must develop and submit to HUD its Consolidated Plan which is the County's comprehensive planning document and application for funding. In its Consolidated Plan, the County must identify its goals for these programs, as well as, for housing programs. The Consolidated Plan must be developed with extensive citizen participation as outlined in the Citizen Participation Plan. The Citizen Participation Plan provides for and encourages public participation, emphasizing involvement by low and moderate-income people. Dane County also encourages participation of minorities, people who do not speak English, and people with disabilities.

Dane County receives approximately $1.7 million annually in CDBG, HOME, and ADDI funds. Funds are to be used for housing, economic development, and community service initiatives for people with low to moderate incomes. Funds are awarded on a competitive basis and are available to municipalities, as well as, not-for-profit and for-profit entities.

Programs

Currently Dane County receives funding for the following HUD programs:

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program - Dane County, as an urban entitlement county, receives an annual allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons. The program is authorized under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, Public Law 93-383, as a amended; 42 U.S.C.-5301 et seq.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program - Dane County, as an urban entitlement county, receives an annual allocation of HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.

General Eligibility

Municipalities/Not-For-Profit/For-Profit Entities

Funds are awarded on a competitive basis and are available to municipalities, not-for-profit, and for-profit entities. Projects must be located in one of the 55 participating municipalities of the Dane County Consortium and meet one or more of the objectives outlined in the County's current Consolidated Plan.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program - Not less than 70 percent of CDBG funds must be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons. In addition, each activity must meet one of the following national objectives for the program: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or address community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community for which other funding is not available.

HOME Investment Partnerships Program - A broad range of eligible activities are possible including, using HOME funds to provide home purchase or rehabilitation financing assistance to eligible homeowners and new homebuyers; build or rehabilitate housing for rent or ownership; or for "other reasonable and necessary expenses related to the development of non-luxury housing," including site acquisition or improvement, demolition of dilapidated housing to make way for HOME-assisted development, and payment of relocation expenses. HOME-assisted rental housing must comply with certain rent limitations. HOME rent limits are published each year by HUD. The program also establishes maximum per unit subsidy limits and maximum purchase-price limits.

Some special conditions apply to the use of HOME funds. Every dollar of HOME funds used must be matched with 25 cents from nonfederal sources, which may include donated materials or labor, the value of donated property, proceeds from bond financing, and other resources. HOME-funded housing units must remain affordable in the long term (20 years for new construction of rental housing; 5-15 years for construction of homeownership housing and housing rehabilitation, depending on the amount of HOME subsidy). In addition, at least 15 percent of the County's annual allocation must be reserved to fund housing to be owned, developed, or sponsered by experienced, community-driven nonprofit groups designated as Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs).

Individuals

HOME Investment Partnerships Program - The eligibility of households for HOME assistance varies with the nature of the funded activity. For rental housing and rental assistance, at least 90 percent of benefiting families must have incomes that are no more than 60 percent of the HUD-adjusted median family income for the area. In rental projects with five or more assisted units, at least 20 percent of the units must be occupied by families with incomes that do not exceed 50 percent of the HUD-adjusted median. The incomes of households receiving HUD assistance must not exceed 80 percent of the area median. HOME income limits are published each year by HUD.

How to Apply

Municipalities/Not-For-Profit/For-Profit Entities

Applications when available are posted on the DCDHS web site at:

http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/application.shtm#cdbg

Reports

Reports may be found at:

http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/cbdg_reports.shtm

Additional Help/Resources

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Home Page

HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Home Page

Contact

For more information, contact:

Ann McCartney, CDBG Program Specialist
1202 Northport DR
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 242-6240
McCartney@co.dane.wi.us

Jenna Wuthrich, CDBG/HOME Program Specialist
1202 Northport DR
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 242-6229
Wuthrich@co.dane.wi.us

Language Services

For more information on Language Services, please visit out Language Services page.

Last Revised: 04/08/2009