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CDBG Grant Planning Grant Program (CDBG-PLNG)

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Planning Program provides funding to local governments and community partnerships that have clearly identified a community or economic development concern, or opportunity, and lack the resources needed to plan an appropriate response.  The program’s goals are to help communities develop clear and actionable strategies for addressing specific site, neighborhood, community or regional economic or development needs and o improve the quality of community or economic development projects by helping to fund local plans.  Planning Grant funds will be available on a continuous basis until available funds are committed.

GRANT CATEGORIES

There are four categories of Planning Grants available to CDBG-eligible local units of government:

Regional Economic Development Planning Grants
Regional Economic Development Planning Grants are intended to encourage multi-county and regional approaches to addressing economic development issues.  They are available to counties or multi-county partnerships wishing to develop plans to diversify the local or regional economy, attract new businesses and jobs, coordinate economic development efforts, respond to sudden and significant job loss or persistent high unemployment, or address other significant economic issues.  The Department will provide grants of up to $25,000 for a project with county-wide focus or up to $20,000/county, but not more than $100,000 in total, for multi-county partnerships.  Regions exhibiting high distress will receive first priority.

Community Planning Grants
Community Planning Grants are available for community wide planning or to develop strategies more narrowly focused on specific existing neighborhoods, including business districts that are in, or are in danger of, decline or deterioration.  The Department provides grants up to $25,000 for planning and strategic development activities that
  • develop and utilize collaborations among community stakeholders
  • assess and analyze demographic/economic data (including downtown market analysis)
  • address economic or physical blight conditions
  • prepare plans to physically improve downtown business districts
  • conduct environmental or historic preservation studies
Site Specific Planning Grants
Site Specific Planning Grants, up to $15,000, are available to help plan for the use or reuse of a specific site, for example, the adaptive reuse of a former hospital or school building, or potential use of a parcel of land.  Eligible activities include community assessments, needs analysis and prioritization; strategy development; preliminary design; and actions to organize, survey and engage affected residents, stakeholders or beneficiaries.  

Functional Planning Grants
Functional planning grants of up to $15,000 are available to help communities assess and develop specific responses to broader needs that exist within the community.  Among the potential targets for these grants are implementation strategies for comprehensive plans; affordable housing; energy conservation; accessibility; historic preservation; small business assistance; flood mitigation; telecommunications services; or response plans to plant closings, natural disasters or other emergencies.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
  
Eligible applicants are units of general local government eligible for the CDBG Small Cities Program in Wisconsin.  Entitlement communities (generally, cities with populations above 50,000, Milwaukee County and most of Dane and Waukesha Counties) are not eligible.  Groups of local governments may apply for Regional Economic Development Planning Grants, however, multi-jurisdictional applications must designate one local government as the lead applicant.  Applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

To qualify for assistance, a planning proposal must address an activity which, if implemented, meets at least one of two national objectives under the CDBG Program. 
  1. at least 51 percent of the persons who would benefit from implementation of the plan are low or moderate income persons
  2. the plan addresses a slum or blighted area in the community.
Proposed planning activities must relate to projects that are CDBG eligible.  Typical eligible planning activities involve feasibility studies; project plans; redevelopment plans; infrastructure/needs assessments in support of housing, efficient land use, economic development; downtown revitalization; and historic preservation.  Engineering, architectural and design costs related to specific projects are not eligible.
MATCH REQUIREMENTS

Successful applicants must provide a match of at least 50 percent of the total grant award from sources other than grants provided by the federal or state government.  Private or public funding can be used for the required match.  Not more than 25 percent of the match can be in-kind.  In cases of extreme hardship, the Department may reduce the match requirement to not less than 25 percent of the total grant award. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

A completed plan must be produced within 12 months of finalizing a grant contract. The plan must present a discussion of:
  • outcome alternatives
  • preferred outcome
  • specific implementation steps to achieve outcome
  • schedules
  • preliminary cost estimates
  • potential financing sources for implementation.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
It is the Department’s intention to fund specific economic or community development plans that are likely to be implemented and that will improve the quality of life in Wisconsin communities.  Funding decisions will be based upon the following criteria (not listed in order of importance).  The award of a planning grant does not commit the Department to provide funds to implement the plan.
  • The need for a plan.
  • The demonstration of community distress.
  • Evidence that key community stakeholders share the belief that the issue being addressed is critical to enhancing community vitality.
  • The ability to undertake all activities associated with planning and supply the required match.
  • The demonstration that the proposed planning activity follows or reinforces local smart growth plans.
  • The likelihood that the applicant is prepared to implement the plan in a timely manner. 
  • Plan proposals that address downtown/main street and central business areas will receive preference.
  • Plan proposals that focus on the preservation and revitalization of existing neighborhoods and business districts will receive preference.
  • Plan proposals that reflect collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders will receive preference.
CONTACT INFORMATION

Before submitting an application, please contact Doug Thurlow at (608) 266-7942 to further discuss your proposal. Doug will assist you in determining the eligibility of your proposal as well as identify other program application and implementation requirements.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Applicants seeking funds for the redevelopment of a waterfront are to use the Wisconsin Waterfront Revitalization Initiative application that is available at http://commerce.wi.gov/wisconsinwaterfront.

CDBG Planning Grant Application