Housing Rehabilitation & Demolition or Neighborhood Development - Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

The Housing Rehabilitation & Demolition or Neighborhood Development program provides financial support to improve housing and neighborhood conditions for low- to moderate-income (LMI) households. Administered under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) umbrella, the program aims to revitalize areas characterized by slum and blight through activities such as housing rehabilitation, demolition, and infrastructure development. For 2025, a total of $1 million has been allocated to the program. Communities can apply for up to $300,000 specifically for housing rehabilitation and/or demolition. Additionally, they may apply for up to $200,000 more for neighborhood development infrastructure, bringing the potential maximum grant to $500,000. The grant requires communities to cover the cost of the environmental review for housing components. If applying for neighborhood infrastructure funding, a 50% match on the infrastructure portion (up to $200,000) is required. Eligible projects include rehabilitation of single-family or rental housing, renovation of upper-story housing, demolition of dilapidated structures and outbuildings, and public facility improvements like streets, curbs, drainage, and sidewalks. Up to 20% of rehabilitation funds may be used for emergencies. Other acceptable uses include architectural barrier removal, energy-use strategies, relocation assistance, and administrative costs. Eligibility is restricted to cities and counties that can demonstrate the benefit to LMI households. For rehabilitation, the household or tenant must qualify as LMI. If the landlord is LMI, they must contribute 15% of the cost; non-LMI landlords must contribute 25%. Communities intending to include demolition must meet the national objective of addressing slum and blight. CDBG staff support is available to identify suitable target areas for LMI surveys. The application window is open from January 1 through November 14, 2025. Two public hearings are required: one before the application submission to gather community input, and a second post-project to report on outcomes. All applications must include an Environmental Determination of Level of Review form. After an award, a full environmental review must be conducted and funded locally. Project activities may not begin until the release of funds is authorized. For support, applicants can consult professionals experienced with CDBG grants, and associated costs may be covered by the grant. Questions can be directed to Tim Parks at Tim.Parks@ks.gov or (785) 480-8072.

Engage the community and stakeholders early; use experienced CDBG professionals; ensure contractors have Lead Safe Renovation training; conduct a strong housing assessment; include a well-defined target area with committed applicants.