County’s CDBG Program’s Annual Assessment Released

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released their assessment of the Douglas County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for the 2007 program year, Aug. 1, 2007 to July 31, 2008. The assessment stated that, “Overall, Douglas County appears to be making strides in providing affordable housing and addressing its community development needs.”

According to HUD’s assessment, Douglas County is meeting the primary objective of the CDBG program, which is the development of viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income. In the 2007 program year, Douglas County provided $474,317.76 of CDBG assistance to low-and moderate-income (LMI) populations. This is an increase of $97,648.57 in funds from last year’s distribution.

The CDBG program requires that 70 percent of the funds go to benefit LMI populations, but Douglas County exceeded that by expending 100 percent of the funds.

The program also requires that 60 days before the end of the current program year, the amount of entitlement grant funds that has not been distributed cannot exceed 1.5 times the entitlement grant amount for that program year.

Each year, HUD conducts an annual review of grantee performance related to the CDBG program to determine if grantees are in compliance with the statutes and has the continuing capacity to implement and administer the programs for which assistance is received.

For more information on the CDBG program, please visit www.douglas.co.us/community/blockgrant.