Non-entitlement units of local government are the only eligible recipients of Virginia CDBG funding, but these local governments may contract with Planning District Commissions, nonprofit organizations, and other competent entities to undertake project activities. A funding amount of $1,000,000 is allocated for CDBG Planning Grants.
There are two categories of Planning Grants, which may or may not be used in preparation for a future CDBG competitive application submission:
- Activation Planning Grants
- Project-Driven Planning Grants
Activation Planning Grants (formerly called "Community Needs Assessments"/"Overall Assessments") are to utilize public input to determine a locality's highest priority needs and plans for future implementation. Project-Drive Planning Grants are directly tied to DHCD's CDBG Competitive and Open Submission Projects (Business District Redevelopment, Housing Rehab, Comprehensive Community Development, Public Infrastructure, Public Services, and Economic Development) and are to increase a prior identified project's readiness. Applications are accepted on an open, rolling basis from May 10 to November 15th , or until all the funding has been allocated for the program year, whichever one comes first. They must be submitted electronically through DHCD’s Centralized Application and Management System (CAMS) and are reviewed on a monthly schedule.
Please contact DHCD prior to the submission of any application.