Community Development Block Grant

The Program Year 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the Town of Cicero, Illinois, is part of a longstanding federal initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As part of HUD’s broader mission to promote viable urban communities, this grant program aims to provide annual formula-based funding to cities like Cicero to improve housing conditions, ensure a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities. The focus remains predominantly on serving individuals and households that meet low- and moderate-income (LMI) thresholds. To access this funding, the Town of Cicero prepares a Five-Year Consolidated Plan that outlines community development needs and strategies. Each year, this plan is supplemented by an Annual Action Plan, which describes specific projects and initiatives. These documents are tracked and evaluated through a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). Eligible organizations are encouraged to submit applications for specific projects, and these submissions play a direct role in shaping Cicero’s Annual Action Plan for the year. For Program Year 2025, the application deadline is April 7, 2025, by 12:00 PM Central Time. Applications may be submitted via email to Argelia Marquez, the Assistant Grant Administrator, at amarquez@thetownofcicero.com, or delivered in person to the Town of Cicero, Department of Housing, located at 1634 S. Laramie Avenue, Cicero, IL 60804. Proposals must be complete upon submission; late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Cicero’s CDBG program prioritizes four key focus areas: expanding the availability of safe and affordable housing, ensuring that housing is free of lead hazards, improving services for non-homeless LMI residents and those with special needs, and enhancing the overall living environment through public facility improvements. Applications must align with at least one of these priority areas and must clearly support one of HUD’s national objectives: benefiting LMI individuals or areas, addressing conditions of slum or blight, or meeting an urgent community need. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, public agencies, local development corporations, and for-profit entities. The range of permissible projects is broad and includes public services such as youth and legal services, public facility improvements like street repairs or community centers, and economic development efforts. Each proposed project must be submitted separately, and funding requests should be rounded to the nearest $50. Applicants are expected to submit a detailed project budget and define project objectives, outcomes (in terms of availability/accessibility, affordability, or sustainability), and quantifiable performance metrics with a timeline. Evaluation criteria for proposals will include eligibility based on activity type and alignment with national objectives, organizational capacity, cost-effectiveness, and consistency with the Town of Cicero’s 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan. Projects affiliated with religious organizations must demonstrate community-wide access. Applicants should also uphold a fair and non-discriminatory process in selecting beneficiaries. For technical assistance or additional information, applicants can reach Argelia Marquez at amarquez@thetownofcicero.com or by calling 708-656-8223.