Welcome to the El Paso County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) main page. Our program’s vision is to develop viable communities by ensuring a range of affordable housing choices, supporting necessary services and public infrastructure, strengthening the local economy, and mobilizing community resources to enhance collaboration and community partnerships. View the tabs below to learn more about our program and the funding cycle.
Click the ‘Applications and Eligibility’ tab to download the application cycle and application instructions.
El Paso County, CO, August 31, 2020 – El Paso County Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is announcing an additional application cycle for the release of CDBG-CV funds. The application process opens Tuesday, September 1, 2020. The funds are intended to prevent, prepare and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over $450,000 is being made available to local nonprofit agencies and participating municipal governments for direct client services such as: rent/utility assistance, employment training and mental health services.
“The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program continues to be one of the longest standing and most flexible federal funding opportunities across the nation,” said Economic Development Executive Director, Crystal LaTier. “This targeted special initiative will bring federal funding to our region, which will help our community prevent, prepare, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The El Paso County Economic Development team is excited to announce that we are opening up a second round of applications to allocate CDBG funding in our region to non-profits and municipalities providing direct client relief services for our residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Funding is being made available through an allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and subject to specialized CDBG regulations.
Guidelines:
All projects must be designed to serve persons of low to moderate income affected by COVID-19 pandemic who reside within El Paso County but outside the city limits of Colorado Springs, per the primary goal of the program.
Attend Webinar to Learn More:
Nonprofits and municipal governments interested in learning more can attend a webinar on Thursday, September 10 at 3:00 p.m. Interested agencies can sign up to attend by emailing chloelomprey@elpasoco.com. This meeting is hosted through Microsoft Teams and closed captioning is provided automatically through the program.
Application Details:
The application will be made available on Tuesday, September 1. All first-time applicants are required to contact program staff before submitting their application. The application cycle will open on September 1, 2020 and close on October 1, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.
CDAB meetings are currently held in the Economic Development Conference Room located at 9 E. Vermijo Avenue in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and start at 12:30 pm. The most recent CDAB meeting was on June 17, 2020. In compliance with state public health orders, meetings are currently being conducted virtually. Please use the contact information at the bottom of this page if you would like to request a direct link to future meetings.
The current 2020 CDAB schedule is as follows:
Additional meetings will be added as they are scheduled.
In April 2020, we celebrated Fair Housing Month with a virtual Fair Housing Display on our website. We are continuing to keep those resources available for those who made need to learn more about their fair housing rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click on the Fair Housing tab to learn more.
The application cycle will close on October 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm. Applicants can expect a response on their application by October 30, 2020. Please use the links below to download the application and application instructions. A webinar with information on the program and application will be held on September 10 at 3:00 pm. Please email chloelomprey@elpasoco.com to register.
El Paso County CDBG-CV Application
El Paso County CDBG-CV Application Instructions
The El Paso County CDBG program’s HUD designated program year runs from April 1 – March 31.
The low to moderate-income map link below is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development based on ACS data. For current recipients of funding and prospective recipients, this link is an excellent tool for scouting potential locations for projects.
Nationwide LMI Maps (To use the map, zoom in to El Paso County and select only the ‘LMISD by Block Group’ option. Click on Block Groups to view Low/Mod percentages. For more assistance, contact our office.)
El Paso County LMI Maps (These maps are zoomed in to specific Census Tract Block Groups in El Paso County that qualify for LMA benefit. For more information or specialty maps for persons with disabilities, please contact our office.)
CDBG funds can be awarded to local jurisdictions and non-profit organizations but not private individuals. Agencies with experience administering federal funding resources will likely have adequate internal controls and policies to successfully implement a CDBG funded project.
After confirming your agency’s eligibility for funding, please consider that the following guidelines must be met:
Please contact our office directly to discuss the eligibility of a specific program or project.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has outlined three clear objectives to be fulfilled by the CDBG program. Every project funded by CDBG funds must accomplish one of the three following objectives: address an urgent need, mitigate slum/blight conditions or benefit persons of low-to-moderate income. Additionally, mitigating slum/blight conditions or benefiting persons of low-to-moderate income can be accomplished through several different avenues. A visual breakdown of these objectives is presented below.
In addition to meeting a national objective, all projects funded by the El Paso County CDBG Program must meet at least one of the goals outlined in our 2017-2021 Consolidated Plan. Please note all goals denoted with an ‘AFH’ in reference to our Assessment of Fair Housing are considered high priority goals. An in-depth listing of all goals is linked below.
Before El Paso County CDBG Program projects may begin expending funds, they must first be approved by the Board of County Commissioners and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Projects are selected and submitted for approval on an annual basis, with the final approval from HUD usually occurring in July or August each year.
Click the links below to see current and past projects, as well as a few highlighted projects that have made an exceptional difference in our community.
Whether you are a first-time recipient of El Paso County CDBG funding or a federal funding old timer, this page will help your agency keep your project in compliance with all associated requirements.
All funding applicants are highly encouraged to review the documents below in advance of submitting their application. These links will help you prepare an application that addresses the needs of the CDBG program as well as develop a deeper understanding of what to expect when developing a potential project.
Playing by the Rules Handbook CDBG Subrecipients
Sample CDBG Subrecipient Agreement
Not sure which reports to submit, or when they’re due? Start off by reviewing the 2019 CDBG Reporting Schedule below. Additional questions can be directed to CDBG staff using the contact information at the bottom of the page.
2019 CDBG Reporting Schedule
Reimbursement Request Form
Quarterly Subrecipient Report
Program Income Report
Annual Federal Expenditure Report
2019 Program Year Project Completion Report
2020 CDBG Income Limits
In order to receive CDBG entitlement funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, El Paso County CDBG staff must prepare a series of annual and five-year reports for the federal agency’s review. All applicable reports for the current program year and consolidated plan cycle are posted here as they become available.
2017-2021 Assessment of Fair Housing
2017-2021 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan
2017 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
2017 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER)
2018 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
2018 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER)
2019 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan
2019 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER)
The El Paso County CDBG Program is committed to affirmatively furthering fair housing within our jurisdiction as delineated in our 2017-2021 Consolidated Plan goal AFH4. Our program hosts two free and open to the public fair housing events each year, which are posted under the Events and Notices tab as they are scheduled.
Want to learn more about your fair housing rights? Please see the resources below and feel free to reach out if you have specific questions or would like additional information.
Fair Housing For All English Booklet
Fair Housing For All Spanish Booklet
DMFHC Brochure: Fair Housing for Persons with Disabilities
DMFHC Brochure: Fair Housing for Families with Children
DMFHC Brochure: Fair Housing for HOAs and Cooperative
2017-2021 Assessment of Fair Housing
Regional Housing Needs Assessment (2014)
Need help filing a fair housing or employment complaint? The websites below can help you get started.
HUD’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Website
United States Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division
Colorado Division of Civil Rights
On April 1, 2009, El Paso County became an “entitlement community” and was awarded a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a wide range of community development activities directed toward revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and providing improved community facilities and services.
The Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) reviews matters of importance regarding the CDBG program and makes recommendations to the El Paso County Board of Commissioners concerning community development issues and use of CDBG funds.
The CDAB is comprised of 12 voting members, including a representative from each of the municipalities participating in the El Paso County Community Development Block Grant Program and a representative from each of the commissioner districts. Participating municipalities advise the Board of County Commissioners who they have designated as their representative. Commissioner district representatives are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners. Members are appointed for five-year terms, with terms initially staggered, and are limited to serving two consecutive five-year terms.
Please review the Events and Notices tab for upcoming CDAB meeting dates and times.
Chloe Lomprey
Community Development Analyst
9 E. Vermijo Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Phone: (719)520-6249
chloelomprey@elpasoco.com
