TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today (July 7) announced the award of $6,452,409 in Small Cities Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to non-entitlement municipalities and counties in New Jersey. The 19 grants are going to 16 municipalities (including Cape May, Dennis Township, Lower Township, Middle Township, Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest) in nine counties. DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources receives, distributes, and administers these federal grant funds for the State of New Jersey.
“Small Cities CDBG grants are an effective way to help municipal and county governments address housing rehabilitation, capital improvements, and economic development efforts,” said Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “The projects funded by these grants will make a positive, appreciable difference in the smaller-sized communities that benefit from them.”
Awards in this year’s application cycle will provide funding for worthwhile projects that include improvements at parks, recreation facilities, and municipal buildings to make them more accessible to disabled persons in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); upgrades to infrastructure; and the rehabilitation of housing for low- and moderate-income residents.
Small Cities CDBG grants provide direct assistance to eligible municipalities and counties for housing rehabilitation, public facilities improvements, community revitalization, and economic development. Funding for the Small Cities CDBG Program is provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant Program. Only non-entitlement, less-populated communities and counties that do not receive direct funding from HUD are eligible for the Small Cities CDBG program.
Municipalities receiving Small Cities grants design their own projects and funding priorities. These locally developed projects are required to meet at least one of the three federal national objectives which include:
- Activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons,
- Assistance in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or
- Urgent community development needs due to existing conditions that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where other financial resources are not available to meet such needs.
A description of the grant recipients and projects are listed below:
2023 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Awards
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More information about the Small Cities CDBG Program can be found at https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/cdbg.shtml.
The Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies, and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for residents, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged.
DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, disaster recovery and mitigation, building safety, community planning and development, fire safety, historic preservation, and information privacy.
For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/.
