What is CDBG?
Congress created the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in 1974 to benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevent and eliminate conditions of slum or blight, and address other urgent community development needs. AEDC has administered the State CDBG program since 1983, when Housing and Urban Development (HUD) moved the administration of the funds to the states. In Arkansas, the CDBG program is also known as the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Program (ACEDP).
Who is eligible?
Eligible applicants include cities and counties with a population of under 50,000 with a low- to moderate-income (LMI) population of at least 51 percent, or for projects which benefit a targeted eligible clientele. Larger entitlement cities receive their own funding and are not eligible for funds from this program. They include Bentonville, Conway, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jacksonville, Jonesboro, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff, Rogers, Springdale, Texarkana, and West Memphis.
Only cities and counties may apply for CDBG grants. Grants cannot be made directly to non-profit or for-profit groups or individuals. However, cities and counties may apply for projects that will benefit non-profit groups, for-profit companies, or LMI persons.
How are the funds distributed?
Each year, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) holds public meetings and hearings across the state to obtain citizen input on community needs. Based on that input, the agency prepares a plan to prioritize and distribute the grant funds that are part of its federal CDBG allocation. A draft of the plan is published and made available for public comment.
Arkansas Community & Economic Development Grant Program (ACEDP)
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
State’s Program for Small Cities
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024
2023 Allocation: $17,807,834
Guidelines and Application
Complete information regarding each program’s application and selection criteria will be made available online. Application guidelines will provide specific details on the application questions, deadlines for completing applications, threshold requirements, and any other necessary items. Application workshops will be held throughout the program year.
1. Guidelines
2023-2024 ACEDP Application Guidelines
2. Application
General Assistance
The General Assistance set-aside is designed to provide cities and counties with the opportunity to apply for grant assistance for a variety of public infrastructure and public facility projects. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission is currently accepting proposals for grant funding under the General Assistance set-aside of the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Program.
Only non-entitlement cities and counties are eligible to apply. All projects must address a national objective for the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG): benefit to persons of low to moderate-income, elimination of conditions of slum and blight, or assistance in addressing an urgent community need.
Grants will be for an amount between $75,000 and $1,000,000. Priority will be given to projects which meet a well-documented need that are ready to proceed, to communities with lower average incomes, and to projects that address priorities cited in the state's Consolidated Plan. Proposals must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on October 13, 2023 or April 12, 2024, for the 2023 Program Year.
Since grants may only be made to cities or counties, interested parties should contact their Mayor or County Judge about sponsoring an application. All funded grants will be required to employ a professional administrator. Administrative fees will be paid from the grant. It is strongly recommended that applicants seek assistance in completing the application from the Planning & Development District that serves their area, or from a private or non-profit professional administrator who has received training from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
Download:
2023-2024 General Assistance Application
2023-2024 Water Wastewater Application
2023-2024 Slum & Blight Removal Application
Part I: General Information/Cover Page
3. Low- to Moderate-Income (LMI) Limits Data
2023 Income Limits, effective May 15,2023
Administrative Procedures Manual
The ACEDP manual is intended as a reference manual for professional administrators and others who administer ACEDP grants. Included in the manual are the forms and reports that are required for documentation of compliance with federal and state laws and ACEDP policies. The manual was written primarily as a reference tool and not as a training document.
Please visit our page on the Administrative Procedures Manual to read and download the documents.
Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plans & Performance Reports
The State of Arkansas receives federal funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for four statutory formula programs. The goals of the programs are to provide decent housing, provide a suitable living environment and to expand economic opportunities.
The plan determines the priorities for addressing those needs and defines the strategy for using available resources. The Consolidated Plan serves as a single document for meeting the planning and submission requirements for the state to receive HUD funds.
2022 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER and PER)
2021 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER and PER)
2021 Substantial Amendment Summary, HOME ARP
2020 Consolidated Annual Performance & Evaluation Report (CAPER and PER)2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and 2020 Action Plan
2022 Public Hearing Presentation, April 14, 2022
Substantial Amendment to the 2019 Annual Action Plan (updated for CDBG-CV CARES Act funds)
CDBG Disaster Recovery Funds
The State of Arkansas has been awarded supplemental CDBG funds from two different appropriations to address the effects of five presidentially-declared disasters in 2008. The first round of funding for $25,042,358 closed in September of 2009. Pre-applications under this first round were submitted by eligible cities and counties through the eight Planning and Development Districts in the state.
The second round of funding for $70,181,041 was released in the spring of 2010. This round covers 71 of Arkansas's 75 counties.
For more information, including Action Plans and Performance Reports, please see our CDBG-DR page.
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
In 1995, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that entitlement communities - communities receiving direct federal funding from Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership and Emergency Shelter Grant programs - must conduct a study of existing barriers to housing choice. This required study is referred to as the Analysis of Impediments (AI) and is part of entitlement communities' consolidated planning process.
The purpose of the AI is to examine how state and local laws, private, public and non-profit sector regulations, administrative policies, procedures and practices are impacting the location, availability and accessibility of housing in a given area. The AI is not a Fair Housing Plan - rather, it is an analysis of the current state of fair housing choice in Arkansas and identifies specific barriers that need to be addressed if future fair housing initiatives are to be successful.
Citizen Participation Plan
SAM.GOV
SAM.GOV (System of Awards Managements) is where users register to do business with the federal government, find exclusion records, and perform other tasks. The system provides a modern portal for entities to register, update, renew, and check the status of their registration in the rebranded SAM.gov. Federal and non-federal users will be able to search for registrations and exclusions. The site also houses the Department of Labor Wage Determinations, and the Assistance Listings to find federal programs and their corresponding CFDA numbers.