Title
Notification from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) Program
Memorandum
On July 1, the City received notice from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that Ann Arbor is eligible to become a direct grantee of HUD's Community Development Block Grant Program. Ann Arbor's choices are to be direct entitlement grantee, participate through the Michigan CDBG program, or continue to participate as part of an urban county. Washtenaw County qualifies as an urban county. HUD has requested the City respond by July 16.
Unless directed otherwise, I will notify HUD of the City's intent to continue with Washtenaw County.
The City joined the Urban County in FY 2010. There are several reasons for continuing with Washtenaw County.
* CDBG funds can be used for a variety of activities, as long as they benefit low and moderate (below 80% AMI) individuals. CDBG funds are allocated to member communities on a demographic basis, then are prioritized for expenditure by the community. In Ann Arbor, these funds have recently supported the Peace Neighborhood Center, Community Action Network, and Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties. Funds have also been used for projects within the City of Ann Arbor including single family rehabilitation and human services.
* The CDBG funds that come to Washtenaw County are limited to use within the eighteen participating jurisdictions. However, for CDBG, each participating community's portion of the overall project allocation is spent within their individual jurisdiction (i.e. City of Ann Arbor allocation is spent on projects within the City), with the exception that human service funding, and owner-occupied rehabilitation projects may be spent anywhere throughout the eighteen urban county member jurisdictions. Based on population, even these latter two programs are disproportionately spent with the city of Ann Arbor and along the urban core communities. ...
Click here for full text