Community Development Block Grant

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program is a longstanding federal initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that began in 1974. The program aims to address critical community needs such as affordable housing, public infrastructure, and services that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents. The City of Perris, California, functions as a HUD entitlement jurisdiction and annually receives CDBG funds, which it then allocates in alignment with federal regulations and local priorities established in its Five-Year Consolidated Plan. Each year, the City of Perris opens a competitive funding process for distributing CDBG funds. The allocation varies annually based on federal decisions and is subject to caps: up to 15% of funds may go toward public service programs and up to 20% for administrative purposes. The remaining balance is dedicated to other eligible community development activities. The city prioritizes funding City-managed programs and projects but also invites proposals from eligible external entities. These include non-profit organizations, public agencies, institutions of higher education, and Community-Based Development Organizations (CBDOs). The city publishes a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), typically in the fall, inviting applications that fulfill one or more of the CDBG National Objectives: benefiting low/moderate-income individuals, eliminating slums or blight, or addressing urgent community needs. CDBG funds can be applied to a broad array of eligible activities. These include improvements for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, infrastructure construction and rehabilitation, facility upgrades, economic development activities like microenterprise support and job training, and a variety of public services such as childcare, senior and youth services, health and substance abuse counseling, and crime prevention. Housing-related activities, including home repair, lead abatement, and homeownership assistance, are also permissible. However, funds may not be used for maintenance, general government operations, political or religious activities, or other explicitly ineligible purposes. To ensure compliance and transparency, the City of Perris requires all grantees to align their proposals with the priorities and strategies detailed in the City's Consolidated Plan. Grantees must also report performance annually through the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER), which HUD uses to assess compliance and outcomes. The City’s Annual Action Plan further details specific funding decisions and expected outcomes for each program year. Eligibility for the program is determined based on HUD-defined income limits, which adjust annually and vary by household size. To qualify for funding, at least 51% of the program beneficiaries must fall within the low- to moderate-income bracket. The city encourages applicants to demonstrate how their programs meet this requirement through geographic targeting or direct income verification of beneficiaries. The contact for this grant program is Sara Cortes de Pavon, Principal Management Analyst, who can be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 951-943-5003 x254. Additional resources, including annual action plans and CAPERs, are available through the City of Perris’s official website. No specific PDF NOFO is provided, and applicants should consult the CDBG webpage for updates, forms, and submission deadlines. The program is annual and recurring, with applications generally opening in the fall of each year.