Grants Available for Community Planning

For Immediate Release: April 28, 2008
Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661

MADISON - Local units of government seeking financial assistance for planning initiatives can apply for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds through the Department of Commerce (Commerce). For these planning grants, communities must be eligible for participation in the CDBG-Small Cities Program.

"A solid plan is the most important first step in revitalizing a community and positioning it for future economic development," said Commerce Secretary Jack L. Fischer, AIA. "The planning process can also help galvanize community support."

There are four categories of planning grants:

• Regional Economic Development Planning Grants to encourage multi-county and regional approaches to economic development issues.
• Community Planning Grants for community-wide planning or to develop strategies for specific neighborhoods
• Site Specific Planning Grants for the use or reuse of a specific site
• Functional Planning Grants to help communities assess and develop specific responses to broad community needs

Individual counties or multi-county partnerships can apply for Regional Economic Development Planning Grants. Commerce has up to $400,000 available annually to award for planning grants. Awards are made on a continuous basis. Successful applicants must provide a match of at least 50 percent of the total grant award from sources other than grants provided by the federal or state government.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Planning Program provides funding to local governments and community partnerships that have clearly identified a community or economic development concern, or opportunity, and lack the resources needed to plan an appropriate response. The program's goals are two-fold; 1) to help communities develop clear and actionable strategies for addressing specific site, neighborhood, community or regional economic or development needs and 2) to improve the quality of community or economic development projects by helping to fund local plans.

Applications are available online at http://commerce.wi.gov/CDdocs/CD-bcf-cdbg-planning-app.doc. For more information, contact Doug Thurlow, Commerce, at 608/266-7942.

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