Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Grant Writing
Responsible Staff: Pat Garvin
FEASIBILITY STUDY APPLICATION
Purpose:
NCC staff will work with the applicant (municipality) and the appropriate NH Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) contact to compile a competitive application for CDBG Feasibility Study Funds. The objectives of a feasibility study grant are to determine whether or not a proposed CDBG project is feasible and/or to recommend specific action(s) to be undertaken and that at least 51% of the intended beneficiaries will be of low or moderate income. Eligible activities include income surveys, preliminary architectural and engineering design, cost estimates, and market analysis. Applications are accepted on the last business day of April and October each year. There is a $12,000 grant limit.
Description of Work:
The scope of work for the CDBG grant writer is to work with the applicant (municipality) to collect information about the project and the beneficiaries. The grant writer will conduct a public hearing, at which time the public will be informed about the project and the CDBG program in general. The grant writer will compose the narrative and compile an application package that meets all of the rules and requirements of the CDBG program through NH CDFA.
Timeframe:
It is recommended that municipalities interested in applying for CDBG Feasibility Study Funds approach NCC within at least two months before the deadline.
Costs:
Cost for this service is typically $500 per application, which does not include advertisement costs for public hearings. Grant writing costs can be included in the total amount applied for and can be paid with CDBG funds if the grant is awarded. However, if the grant is not awarded, the applicant will be expected to cover half of this amount, $250.
FEASIBILITY STUDY GRANT ADMINISTRATION
Responsible Staff: Pat Garvin
Purpose:
NCC staff will work with the grantee (municipality) and the appropriate CDFA contact to appropriately administer CDBG Feasibility Study grants. NCC staff will ensure that all of the rules are followed, requests for payment are timely, and required paperwork is complete.
Description of Work:
The NCC grant administrator will work with the grantee (municipality) to hire an engineer and to complete all of the necessary paperwork and documentation. The grant administrator and the hired engineer will conduct a public hearing, at which time the public will be informed about the results of the study. The grant administrator will oversee the project and make sure all of the CDBG requirements are met.
Timeframe:
The NCC grant administrator will work with the municipality until the grant is closed out, which is typically a one year contract.
Costs:
Cost for administration service is typically $1,500 per application, which does not include advertisement costs for public hearings or RFQ’s for engineers. Grant administration is included in the total amount applied for and can be paid with CDBG funds.
CDBG HOUSING/PUBLIC FACILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS
Purpose - Housing/Public Facility:
NCC staff will work with the applicant and the appropriate CDFA contact to compile a competitive application for CDBG Housing/Public Facility and Economic Development grants.
Affordable housing and housing rehabilitation grants provide a municipality with the funds to purchase, rehabilitate, expand, and improve the condition and supply of housing for low and moderate income homeowners and tenants. CDBG funds are often sub-granted to nonprofit affordable housing developers for these purposes. Public Facilities grants include water and sewer system improvements, transitional and homeless shelters, sidewalks, handicapped access, and neighborhood or community centers that provide public services to low and moderate income people. Applications for housing and public facilities projects are accepted on the last Monday of January and July of each year. There is a $500,000 grant limit for towns and counties.
Purpose - Economic Development:
NCC staff will work with the applicant and appropriate CDFA staff to complete a competitive application for CDBG Economic Development grants.
CDBG Economic Development grants provide funds for projects, which create and retain employment, primarily for low and moderate income people, by providing business financing through Regional Development Corporations (RDC) or Economic Development Entities (EDE), or through public facility improvements to support economic development efforts. The main goal in this category is to create jobs that provide good wages, benefits, and training programs. CDBG Economic Development Funds can be used for acquisition of land and buildings, construction of commercial buildings, purchase of machinery and equipment, employee training, and public facilities improvements. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, until the annual amount set aside each year is used. Municipalities and counties can apply to use the grant funds in a variety of ways, but typically the funds are subgranted to a Regional Development Corporation (RDC), or Economic Development Entity (EDE), or used directly by the municipality. There is a $500,000 grant limit for towns and counties.
Description of Work:
The scope of work for the CDBG grant writer is to work with the applicant (municipality, RDC, or EDE) to collect information about the project and the beneficiaries. The grant writer will conduct a public hearing, at which time the public will be informed about the project and the CDBG program in general. The grant writer will compose the narrative and compile an application package that meets all of the rules and requirements of the CDBG program through the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA).
Timeframe:
It is recommended that municipalities interested in applying for CDBG Housing/Public Facility funds or Economic Development funds approach NCC at least three months before the deadline. It is highly recommended that preliminary engineering be complete before applying for implementation funds.
Costs:
Cost for writing an application is typically $4,000 per application and does not include advertisement costs for public hearings. Grant writing costs can be included in the total amount applied for and can be paid with CDBG funds if the grant is awarded. However, if the grant is not awarded, the applicant will be expected to cover half of this amount, $2,000.
HOUSING/PUBLIC FACILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT ADMINISTRATION
Purpose:
NCC staff will work with the grantee (municipality) and the appropriate CDFA contact to administer CDBG Housing/Public Faciity and Economic Development grants. NCC will ensure that all the rules are followed, requests for payment are timely, and required paperwork is complete.
Description of Work:
The NCC grant administrator will work with the grantee (municipality) and any subgrantees for the project to complete all the necessary paperwork and documentation. The grant administrator will conduct a public hearing, at which time the public will be informed about the results of the project. The grant administrator will oversee the project and make sure all the CDBG requirements are met.
Timeframe:
NCC grant administrator will work with the municipality until the grant is closed out, typically 12-18 months.
Costs:
Cost for administration is generally negotiated at the time the Housing/Public Facility or Economic Development grant is written. Administration costs are part of the grant total applied for, and are paid out of granted funds. These costs are determined by the complexity of the project and determined on a project-by-project basis.