Bringing Communities Together

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.

Welcome to the Community Development Block Grant!

Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) Meeting Schedule

CDAB meetings are currently held on the third Wednesday of each month as needed in the Economic Development Conference Room located at 9 E. Vermijo Avenue in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Meetings start at 12:30 pm. The next CDAB meeting is TBD

The 2023 Application Cycle is closed.

Funding decisions will be announced in July, 2023.

The 2023 webinar materials are below. Please view them to learn more about our overall funding, as well as the application process. The 2024 Application Cycle is tentatively scheduled to open in January, 2024!

EPC CDBG Application Cycle Webinar Slide Deck & Recording:

2023 Webinar Slide Deck

2023 Webinar Recording

Funding Cycle

The El Paso County CDBG program’s HUD designated program year runs from April 1 – March 31 of the following year. The application cycle generally opens in January. Check the events and notices tab for when application cycle dates are announced.

Mapping Tools

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.)

El Paso County Assessor Real Property Search (Use this tool to check whether an address is inside or outside the city of limits of Colorado Springs)

Who is eligible to apply for funding?

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:

  • The project must serve persons of low-to-moderate income who reside within El Paso County but outside the city limits of Colorado Springs. Eligible areas include Calhan, Fountain, Green Mountain Falls, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Ramah, and unincorporated El Paso County.
  • The project must be eligible according to the Code of Federal Regulations, which can be accessed at CDBG Code of Federal Regulations
  • The project must meet one of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s national objectives and one of the El Paso County Consolidated Plan goals. National objectives and local goals are described in detail under the Goals tab.

Please contact our office directly to discuss the eligibility of a specific program or project.

National Objectives of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

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.

National objectives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's National Objectives

Local Goals of the El Paso County CDBG Program

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 2022-2026 Consolidated Plan.

2022-2026 CDBG Goals

goals image

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 link below to see our current projects:

NEW 2022 Project Listing

Click the links below to see past projects:

2020 CDBG Project Listing

CDBG-CV Project Listing

2021 CDBG Project Listing

CDBG – Subrecipient Requirements & Resources

All funding applicants and are highly encouraged to review the documents below in advance of submitting their application. These resources will prepare you for what to expect when developing a potential project and ensure your application addresses the needs of the CDBG program.

Reporting Resources

Begin by reviewing the Annual Reporting Schedule, noting which reporting forms are required quarterly and annually. Direct additional questions to CDBG staff using the contact information at the bottom of the page.

Downloadable Reporting Forms:

Construction Project Resources & Forms:

Mandatory Forms for RFP/IFB:

  • HUD Form 4010
  • HUD Form 92554M
  • Davis Bacon Prevailing Wages (Please contact us prior to the RFP/IFB publication to assist with pulling the appropriate Davis Bacon wages for your project.)

Mandatory Items that must be completed before construction can begin on a project:

Mandatory Posters to be displayed on job site during construction:

Davis-Bacon & Labor Standards: Contractor Guide & Addendum

Section 3 Compliance Guide (for projects with federal funding totaling $200,000 or more)

Section 3 Compliance Reporting Form (for projects with federal funding totaling $200,000 or more)

CDBG-CV Reporting Guides & Resources:

Note that CDBG-CV Reporting follows the same schedule as the CDBG Annual Reporting Schedule and utilizes the same reimbursement request form.
Intro to CDBG-CV
CDBG-CV Quarterly Report
Duplication of Benefits Guide
Duplication of Benefits Awareness Sheet
CDBG-CV Public Utilities Q&A

To ensure these federal funds are used effectively and efficiently within our jurisdiction, El Paso County Economic Development thoughtfully, strategically, and with robust community participation completes several long-term planning, short-term action, and final performance evaluation documents. Please note additional information below:

Long-Term Strategic Plans:

2022-2026 Consolidated Plan and 2022 Annual Action Plan

Assessment of Fair Housing (internal planning document)

Short-Term Actions:

2023 CDBG Annual Action Plan (AAP) Draft

2021 CDBG Annual Action Plan (AAP)

Performance Evaluation Reports:

2022 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) Draft

2021 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER)

FY21 El Paso County Annual Community Assessment

Additional historical reports available upon request

Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB)

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.

Meetings:

Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 12:30 PM at 9 E. Vermijo Ave., Colorado Springs, CO. Meetings are held as needed. The next CDAB meeting is TBD at this time

Members:

Town of Green Mountain Falls: Tyler Stevens (Chair)

  • Term Start 04/28/2009
  • Term End 5/01/2026

Town of Calhan/ Ramah: Cindy Tompkins (Vice-Chair)

  • Term Start 05/04/2010
  • Term End 05/01/2025

District 1: Rachel Starr

  • Term Start 05/01/2019
  • Term End 05/01/2024

District 2: Matt Buffington

  • Term Start 10/18/2022
  • Term End 10/18/2027

District 3: Tiffany Colvert

  • Term Start 05/01/2017
  • Term End 05/01/2023

District 4: Tamara Estes

  • Term Start 03/12/2019
  • Term End 05/01/2024

District 5: Robert Null

  • Term Start 04/28/2009
  • Term End 6/01/2025

City of Fountain: Todd Evans

  • Term Start 1/1/2020
  • Term End 05/01/2025

City of Manitou Springs: Denise Howell

  • Term Start 12/16/2019
  • Term End 05/01/2025

Town of Monument: Madeline VanDenHoek

  • Term Start 08/01/2019
  • Term End 05/01/2024

Town of Palmer Lake: Vacant

For information on CDAB or attending a meeting, please contact Luke Houser, contact information listed below

Ready to learn more about CDBG? Contact us!

Luke Houser
Community Development Analyst
9 E. Vermijo Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
719-520-6249
lukehouser@elpasoco.com