The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is a principal revenue source for local communities to address the roots and consequences of poverty. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development administers the program on a national basis and awards grants annually to entitlement communities, including Burlington, on a formula basis. The City in turn awards grants to local organizations as well as operating several CDBG-funded programs. The city's Consolidated Plan for Housing & Community Development governs the Community Development Block Grant Program.  The City's current Consolidated Plan was approved by City Council on May 12, 2008, and went into effect on July 1, 2008.  You can view the Plan here.  The city's Consolidated Plan includes a Citizen Participation Plan that outlines the opportunities for public participation in decision-making about the allocation of resources under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other programs of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.  The city has amended its Citizen Participation Plan to clarify the process for developing applications under the Section 108 guarantee loan assistance program, which is part of the CDBG program.  You can view the amended Citizen Participation Plan here (pdf). You can view the former Consolidated Plan here. It took effect on July 1, 2003, and ran through June 30, 2008. The city's 2009 Action Plan (pdf) for Housing & Community Development outlines spending and action items for the program year beginning July 1, 2009. The Plan incorporates the recommendations of the CDBG Advisory Board on the 2009 CDBG Requests for Funding.  The city's 2008 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report is available for review here and in the Community & Economic Development Office in City Hall.  It reports on what was accomplished with expenditures during the 2008 Program Year.

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Over the last program year:

• With the help of CDBG and HOME dollars (together with the Housing Trust Fund, inclusionary zoning, other resources and technical assistance from the Community & Economic Development Office), 68 new affordable housing units are currently under construction or in the predevelopment phase.
• Forty housing units were rehabbed, with work ranging from new paint to emergency repairs to major rehabilitation.
• Development and rehabilitation assisted by CEDO’s Housing Division increased property tax revenue by nearly $150,000.
• CDBG-funded economic development activities supported the start-up of 39 new businesses, helped to retain/expand 49 businesses, and led to the creation of 370.5 permanent FTE jobs (plus 1,318 construction jobs) and the retention of 443 permanent FTE jobs.
• CDBG expenditures leveraged over $78 million in private and other public investment and supported the development and/or renovation of 38,880 sq. ft. of commercial space, with increased property tax revenues of $370,604 and increased rooms and meals revenues of $133,288.
• CDBG dollars helped to provide quality, affordable childcare for 126 children from low- and moderate-income families, sustaining their ability to work.
• Through the help of CDBG grants, over 5,300 people (adults and children) were fed by anti-hunger programs; over 1,100 homeless people (including families with children and victims of domestic violence) had a safe, warm place to sleep; and over 2,700 people kept their heat on.
• 575 youth participated in CDBG-funded summertime and after-school recreational, academic and social enrichment programs, and over 600 seniors received meals, health care, help with public benefits, in-home assistance and/or participated in social activities.
• Seventy-three percent of those served by CDBG-funded social service programs were “extremely low” income – which for a family of four in 2008 means an annual income of less than $21,200.
• CEDO managed the extensive public process to solicit feedback and comment from residents about the future of the Moran Plant. After 65% of Burlington voters approved a redevelopment proposal, CEDO began working with other city departments and city partners on next steps, which include legal agreements between the city and its partners, additional architectural and engineering services, addressing city financing, and fundraising campaigns by the Community Sailing Center and Green Mountain Children’s Museum.
• Federally-funded street improvement projects moved forward, with scoping complete and preliminary engineering underway for Battery & College Street improvements and planning underway for improvements to Church Street Marketplace sidestreets.
• The Lund Family Center's facility on Glen Road was renovated and expanded with additional residential treatment space for pregnant and parenting young women.
• Community members have taken the initiative to improve their neighborhoods with grassroots spending for improved parks, playgrounds, community gardens and other public facilities.

For more information, contact:

Margaret Bozik, Assistant Director for Management, Planning & Communications
802·865·7171

Page last updated December 30, 2009