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The major responsibility of the Community
Development Program is to manage the Community Development
Block Grant Program (CDBG).
Community Development also administers the Emergency Shelter Grant
Program (ESG)
and the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) which are designed to assist homeless individuals and to
provide affordable housing for low-income persons respectively
in addition to the Community
Services Program which is
committed to supporting programs and initiatives that serve
economically disadvantaged citizens of Beaver County and
to providing programs and services that aid in removing
barriers that prevent low-income persons from developing
to their fullest potential.
The CDBG Program was established in 1975 with the passage
of the Housing and Community Development Act. The act has
been amended numerous times since 1975; however, the basic
structure and design of the program remains the same as
it was back then.
One of the basic provisions of the act is to designate
areas of the country as urban communities if the areas meet
certain criteria related to overall population, conditions
of available housing, income levels of the area residents
and other demographic information. Those areas or communities
that meet all the required criteria are thus given urban
county or urban community status making them eligible or
entitled to a Community Development Block Grant each year.
This grant called an "entitlement" is awarded
to an eligible community each year by the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The amount of the grant is based on a
formula developed by HUD, which takes into consideration
the various demographic data that was mentioned earlier
in determining urban community status.
The ESG Program began in 1987 at
which time the County received $54,000. The HOME Program
started in 1993 at which time the County received $613,000.
Purpose
The primary purpose of the program, as established
by the Housing and Community Development Act, is to provide
financial assistance to areas experiencing a decline in
population and a decline in its economic base that results
in the overall decline of an area including high unemployment
or under employment, deterioration of housing, deteriorating
public facilities and infrastructure and the development
of slum blight conditions.
Focus
The primary focus of the program is to support activities
that will benefit low income individuals through improved
housing, better employment opportunities, improved public
facilities, provide a better quality of life and to support
activities that will eliminate or prevent conditions of
slum and blight throughout a community.
Goals
and Objectives
The County hopes to accomplish 5 main goals:
1. Encourage business investment
activities
2. Create long-term employment opportunities, especially
for low income persons
3. Improve the overall environment
4. Expand affordable housing
5. Assist the homeless
To accomplish our goals, we wish to concentrate on four
principal activities:
1. Improve and expand the public infrastructure
2. Rehabilitate or renovate buildings, houses, and
properties
3. Encourage and support economic development
4. Provide supportive services to the homeless
Accomplishments
Specifically, we strive to carry out projects that will
extend or replace water and sewer lines, improve or rehabilitate
roads and streets, rehabilitate or renovate public and private
housing and other non-residential public or private buildings,
revitalize and improve our downtown business districts and
assist businesses wishing to expand or locate in Beaver
County by making loans available to them. The latter activity
is provided through the Corporation for Economic Development's
Business Development Fund.
Most of us are all too aware of the many
problems the County has experienced over the last twenty-five
(25) years or so that are related to the decline in employment
opportunities, the decline in our public facilities and
infrastructure, the decline in general economic conditions
and the decline in our quality of life. These problems and
conditions form the basis for the County's short and long-term
goals to be carried out under the CDBG Program.
Citizen Participation
In order to manage and implement the Program in the most
effective and efficient manner possible, we need to continually
reevaluate our strategies, goals and objectives used to
successfully carry out these plans.
The Community Development Program must provide an opportunity
for the citizens of Beaver County to make their concerns
and ideas known. Input from Beaver County citizens is important
in the development of project activities for each CDBG Program Year. This is accomplished by holding public hearings
prior to the submission of the Consolidated Plan to HUD.
National
Primary Objectives
To achieve the goals of the
CDBG Program, The Housing and Community Development
Act establishes three primary conditions or criteria that
must be met before funds can be utilized to support an activity.
These are called the CDBG National Primary Objectives.
A CDBG Project must do one or more of the following:
• Benefit low to moderate income persons
• Prevent or eliminate a condition of slum and blight
• Address a situation creating a threat to the health
and safety of residents that has occurred in the last 18
months and
for which there is no other source of funding
available to carry out the activity.
The latter criteria is almost never used to qualify
or make an activity eligible for funding under the CDBG
Program because of the very stringent requirements that
must be met according to applicable regulations. This criterion
is used primarily in qualifying activities that would correct
or repair problems resulting from major disasters. The only
time it has been used in Beaver County was to assist in
the repair of the Chippewa Township Sewage Treatment Plant
that was destroyed by an explosion.
Eligible
Activities
CDBG Program
- Construction or improvement of public facilities
such as roads, streets, water lines, sewer lines, etc.
- Rehabilitation and preservation of privately
owned buildings that will assist in improving the overall
appearance and condition of an area
- Rehabilitation of low income public housing
and other publicly owned residential buildings
- Rehabilitation of publicly owned non-residential
buildings such as libraries and firehouses
- Provision of special economic development activities
such as: the acquisition, construction,reconstruction
or installation of commercial or business development
that will result in the creation or retention of jobs
primarily for low income persons
- Removal of architectural or other barriers to
make buildings or sites accessible for the handicapped
or elderly
- Provision of code enforcement activities to
stop the decline of an area
- Preservation of historic buildings or areas
- Acquisition of real property to be used for
future public purpose
- Demolition or clearance of buildings to eliminate
blighted areas
- Carrying out various planning or study activities
that will assist in meeting CDBG objectives.
This list is not exhaustive and there may be other
activities that may meet the eligibility requirements as
set forth in the CDBG regulations.
While there are many activities that can be supported
under the Program, there are also specific activities that
cannot be funded. Any activity that does not meet the basic
criteria under the national primary objective regulations
or are otherwise ineligible according to the regulations
cannot be considered by the Program.
The purchase, construction, or renovations of buildings
used for the general conduct of local government (except
for removal of barriers preventing handicapped accessibility)
are not eligible. Support of political activities is not
eligible. The purchase of construction equipment, furnishings
and personal property is also prohibited under CDBG regulations.
Click
here to view program application
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©copyright
2003 Beaver County
