Helping Counties Expand Community Development HUD Funds

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides annual grants to entitled cities and counties to provide decent housing and a suitable living environment by expanding economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons. Eligibility is determined by U.S. Census Bureau population data based on the following:

  • Principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs)
  • Other metropolitan cities with populations of at least 50,000
  • Qualified urban counties with populations of at least 200,000 (excluding the population of entitled cities)

Since 2016 Centralina Regional Council has served as the CDBG Program Administrator for Mecklenburg and Union Counties. As the CDBG Program Administrator, Centralina assists the counties to ensure they are following Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program rules and regulations and helps manage the program requirements to get federal dollars moving as quickly and effectively as possible.

Centralina coordinates the process to amend the Consolidated Plan, which is required by HUD for the CDBG program and allows additional entitlement cities to join the CDBG program when they have met the population criteria. The new municipalities for Mecklenburg County include the Town of Mint Hill in addition to those already served: the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews and Pineville. The new municipalities for Union County include Towns of Fairview, Indian Trail, Mineral Springs and Wesley Chapel in addition to those already served: the City of Monroe and the Towns of Waxhaw, Stallings, Marshville, Weddington and Wingate. 

Centralina also assists Union County with implementing the HUD fair housing act requirements to affirmatively further fair housing, which is a requirement of HUD for CDBG funds. Mecklenburg County conducts its own fair housing analysis via the City of Charlotte as part of their HUD CDBG program.

In Recent News: CDBG-NR

Centralina partnered with the Town of Morven to help secure a 2021 Community Development Block Grant Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG-NR) Program award in the amount of $750,000 from the NC Department of Commerce to address local community development needs. Read more about Centralina’s work with the CDBG-NR Program in Stanly and Lincoln Counties here.

Grant Preparation or Administration Support

If you would like technical assistance help with your CDBG-NR Program, you can learn more about our support services for the NC Commerce 2021 application period here. Centralina is available to assist towns with navigating ongoing and future HUD CDBG federal and state programs and requirements.