COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
It was unfortunate that the second CDBG Open House, previously scheduled for March 12th, had to be cancelled due to concerns about Covid-19. We had planned to use this event to hear from citizens about Brookline’s most pressing housing and community development needs - which would help to inform the goals for the Town’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan.
It is likely that staff will not be able to hold another in-person meeting in the near future. To accommodate citizens who would like to provide comments on housing and community development needs in Brookline, we have posted below the boards and fact sheet we utilized for the first open house.
The fact sheet and panels provide information on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs and also shows examples of projects in the four general funding areas CDBG funds can support. These include: Housing, Public Services, Public Facilities/Infrastructure, and Economic Development. Each board provides a section where we asked participants to provide their thoughts on more specific needs concerning these funding areas.
If you would like, please take a look at these panels and email us to provide your ideas on how these funds can better serve the Town’s low- and moderate-income populations (incomes below 80% area median income).
You will see that on the right side of the funding areas panels, we ask participants to provide feedback on what Brookline’s key housing, public facilities, economic development and public services needs are. We would like to hear from you as part of this virtual open house! The deadline for recommendations will be Friday, March 27th at 12:30PM.
We are happy to talk with anyone on the phone and help guide a conversation, if that works best.
March 2020 Open House Events
Attend an upcoming Open House event to learn more about Brookline’s Community Development Block Grant 5-Year Consolidated Planning Process.
Let us know what Brookline’s most important housing and community development needs are. Details about the upcoming Open House events are included in the flyers below:
Open Houses: CDBG 5-year Consolidated Plan (March 2020)
CONVERSATORIOS DE DESARROLLO COMUNITARIO (2020 Marzo)
Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Proposals
Prospective Grantees can access the Fiscal Year 2021 CDBG RFP and Guidelines below
A Word version of the RFP can be found here
CDBG Fact Sheet
Click on the fact sheet to learn about what kinds of projects the Town funds with its federal CDBG allocation.
What the Grant Typically Funds:
- Social/public services programs for low- and moderate-income individuals and families
- Nonprofits and social service agencies that provide services that benefit youth, the elderly and other clientele
- Affordable housing rehabilitation, including the Brookline Housing Authority and non-profit housing providers
- Public facilities improvements (parks and open space, infrastructure), in eligible areas, primarily in the lower Brookline Village/Route 9 corridor
FY 2020 CDBG Annual Action Plan
FY 2020 is year five of the Town’s five year Consolidated Plan and Strategy. View the Town’s FY 20 AAP here.
To see how the Town spent its FY ’19 funding, please see the CAPER here.
Community Planning staff administer the Town’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funding. Overall, the town receives approximately $1.6 million a year in funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund and oversee community development initiatives for eligible populations in eligible areas of Brookline.
Citizen Participation
Learn more about how the public is involved in the decision-making process for the use of federal funds by reading the Town’s Citizen Participation Plan.
See the revised Citizen Participation Plan (CARES), amended for the Town’s Coronavirus response.
FY 2021-2025 Five Year Consolidated Plan
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires the Town of Brookline to create a Consolidated Plan as part of the entitlement funding process for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The Con Plan serves as the roadmap for the use of CDBG funds over a five year period. CDBG funds are allocated to address housing and community development needs primarily benefiting low- to moderate-income families or individuals.
Needs Assessment
During the months of July 2019 through the March 2020, the Town will engage in a variety of methods to assess the needs of the community. The Town will reach out to community constituencies and residents (through public meetings and via a survey) and undertake an analysis of community needs using Census and American Community Survey data, along with other local planning efforts and and data sources.
The Town will hold two public hearings to address Housing and Non-Housing Needs. The first public hearing will be on January 28, 2020 at a meeting of the Brookline Select Board. The second hearing will be scheduled for May 2020.
A draft of the Consolidated Plan was released for public view and comment. You can review the DRAFT FYs 2021-2025 Five Year Consolidated Plan here.
See the presentation from the January 28 Select Board Consolidated Plan Public Hearing below:
Prior Consolidated Plan:
Consolidated Plan 2016-2020 (PDF)
For Grantees:
Below is information necessary necessary to fulfill your responsibilities as a CDBG grant subrecipient:
- Self-certification Income form (PDF)
- Davis-Bacon (Construction Contracts)
- Procurement
- Section 3 (Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very low-Income Persons)