Community Development Block Grant: Small Cities

"The Key to Connecticut's Community Development Future"

Connecticut's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, also known as the Small Cities Program, provides funding and technical support for projects that achieve local community and economic development objectives. The Small Cities Program principally benefits low-and moderate-income persons. This program is only available to Connecticut towns and cities with populations of less than 50,000.

Funding for the Connecticut CDBG program is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the guidelines of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. Eligible Activities must meet one of the following CDBG program National Objectives: benefiting low and moderate-income persons, eliminating slum and blight or addressing an urgent need.

The primary focus of the CDBG program is to benefit low-and moderate-income persons. The Connecticut CDBG program receives and distributes over thirteen million dollars each year. Since the state took over the administration of the CDBG program in 1982, over $325,700,000 has been invested in Connecticut communities. 

Communities participate in a competitive application process annually for CDBG funds to implement their proposed community and economic development projects.

CDBG Grant Management Manual

The CDBG Grant Management Manual provides program guidance to prospective applicants and grant awardees. The manual sets forth DOH's expectations from the grantees in managing the program funded by the CDBG funds.

CDBG Small Cities Grant Management Manual  


CDBG Important Information

DOH Small Cities Bulletins
Small Cities Fact Sheet 
2017 Action Plan
2015-2019 ConPlan

CDBG Past Presentations 

In case you missed these presentations, view now.

CDBG Small Cities COVID-19 Funding Presentation Session 
COVID-19 Eligible Activities Round Table Discussion for Tranche 1 Activities Only- July 7, 2020 
COVID-19 Round Table Discussion on Eligible Activities -July 8, 2020

2021 Small Cities Application

DOH has established an annual competitive round application process for CDBG funds. Communities seeking funding to implement their proposed community, housing and economic projects should be familiar with the Application Process.  

Eligible Applicants
Eligible Activities
National Objectives
Section 108
DOH Survey Methodology
HUD Rent and Income Limits
Pre-Project Checklist for Lead Abatement
Pre-Project Checklist for Lead Safe Practices
Model Lead Abatement Plan
Model Lead Hazard Remediation Plan
Model Lead Management Plan

HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development offers a series of webinars to explain and explore how to conduct an environmental review. The purpose is to improve projects by making the environmental review requirements easier to understand and comply with. Here are two links for a basic orientation to HUD's Part 58 regulations on environmental review responsibilities of Responsible Entities and for an overview of the tiered review process and how Responsible Entities may use tiering to improve their environmental review procedures. HUD also demonstrated how tiered reviews are created in HEROS using a single-family rehab program as a case study.
These webinars are intended for an audience with no knowledge or a limited understanding of how to perform environmental reviews in the context of HUD-assisted projects.

HEROS Tiered Environmental Review Webinar