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Development Services > Community Development Block Grant

Community Development Block Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awards grants to entitlement community grantees to carry out a wide-range of community development activities directed toward revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and providing improved community facilities and services. Entitlement communities develop their own programs and funding priorities. However, grantees must give maximum feasible priority to activities which benefit low and moderate-income persons. Grantees may also carry out activities, which aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight. Additionally, grantees may fund activities when the grantee certifies that the activities meet other community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where other financial resources are not available to meet such needs. CDBG funds may not be used for activities not meeting these broad national objectives.

Entitlement status is a designation for local communities generally with a population over 50,000. The City of Lee's Summit was designated as an Entitlement Community under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in August 1994. With this designation, the City receives a grant on an annual basis contingent upon congressional approval of the federal budget.

Currently, the City’s CDBG program is implemented through a process where qualified agencies apply for these funds prior to the start of each program year for eligible projects and activities. There is a selection and fund allocation process to ensure funds are used to achieve community goals and objectives as established in the five-year Consolidated Plan. Diagram of the CDBG Process 

Eligibility and Qualifications

To be eligible for CDBG funds, an activity must meet one of the three National Objectives, which are:

  • benefit low-to-moderate income persons
  • eliminate or prevent blight or slums (blight and slums must be declared by the local governing body)
  • address an urgent community need (disaster relief)

Read detailed information on eligible and ineligible activities here.

Subrecipient eligibility

  • An eligible subrecipient is any of the following:
  • public agency
  • nonprofit agency
  • Community-based Development Organization (certified CBDO)

Please note that a developer/contractor/owner is not an eligible subrecipient.

Eligible beneficiaries for the subrecipient programs

Please contact the subrecipient agencies directly for eligibility information.

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

The City's Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice has been completed and submitted to HUD. To learn about this study, please visit the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choices Project.

First Time Homebuyer Program

This program is funded through the Community Development Block Grant. Eligible first time homebuyers can be granted up to $3,000 to cover closing costs and up to 50 percent of the required down payment. To learn more, visit the First Time Homebuyer Program.

Minor Home Repair Program

Funded through the CDBG this program provides up to $10,000 to qualified single family owner-occupied homeowners for eligible exterior home repairs and up to $3,000 to qualified homeowners for eligible minor private sanitary sewer repairs/improvements. To learn about the program and apply for the grant, visit Minor Home Repair Program.