Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

The City of Auburn Planning and Economic Development Office administers the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program which is authorized under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The main goal of the program is to “develop viable communities by providing decent housing and suitable living environments and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate incomes.”

The CDBG program is used to fund eligible activities that directly benefit low to moderate income residents and targeted neighborhood investments which will focus on particular low to moderate income neighborhoods based on current data provided by the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS). All projects must meet the National Objectives as defined by HUD.

Since 1994 Community Development Block Grant Funds have greatly impacted our community by rehabilitating houses for low to moderate income residents through the Home Repair Assistance Program, demolishing blighted structures through clearance activities, improving neighborhood walkability with sidewalk replacement, enhancing low to moderate income area parks, utilizing 15% annually of entitlement funds for the purpose of funding human service agencies, and providing funding opportunities to promote and enhance the local economy.
The City of Auburn encourages the community to participate in the CDBG funding process during the development of the Five Year Strategic Plan and Annual Action Plans. Public participation is vital in prioritizing funding for CDBG eligible programs and projects listed within these plans.

To find out how you can be involved in the Community Development Block Grant Program, please see the Community Participation Plan or contact the City of Auburn Office of Planning and Economic Development, 24 South Street, Auburn, NY 13021. Email.

Home Repair Assistance Program 

The Home Repair Assistance Program is funded through the Community Development Block Grant program and is available to assist low to moderate income homeowners in the City of Auburn. If you or anyone you know is interested in this program please contact Thoma Development Consultants at 607-753-1433. Thoma, located at 34 Tompkins St, Cortland NY 13045, is a local housing development corporation and administers the Home Repair program. 

Human Service Agency Funding

The competitive Request For Proposals (RFP) process for the CDBG Human Service Agency funding is released every two years. This process allows for new programs and agencies to seek funding for programs that serve the City’s most vulnerable populations. 

For those interested in applying for funding on an area wide basis please refer to this link for eligible census tracts: CDBG Eligible Tracts

Please feel free to contact the Office of Planning and Economic Development at 315-255-4115 with any questions.