CDBG – Community Facilities: Large Grants is sponsored by Kansas Department of Commerce. Supports major public facility improvements serving whole Kansas communities.

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Kansas Small Business Office Taxes, Credits, & Exemptions To The Stars: Kansas Business Awards Corporate & Professional Services Food Processing and Manufacturing Energy & Natural Resources Kansas Small Business Office Community Facilities: Large Grants The Large Grants category allows cities and counties to propose any CDBG-eligible facility project without needing to fit within specific subcategories.

The local match has been decreased to 20% to improve accessibility for smaller or lower-income communities. Get Program Notifications arrow_forward_ios of the CDBG grant request Benefit Low- to Moderate-Income persons At least 20% matching funds SEE IF YOUR COMMUNITY QUALIFIES Check qualifications, programs, and more 2026 Pre-Application Now Open!

A pre-application must be submitted and approved by CDBG before an application can be submitted. The pre-application is used to determine project eligibility and readiness before proceeding to the full application stage. Commerce will review submissions within ten days and provide further instructions.

Please discuss your project with CDBG staff before submitting a pre-application. You can contact a project manager at any time or email [email protected] .

The Community Facilities: Large Grants Program allows cities and counties to propose any CDBG-eligible facility project—such as libraries, childcare centers, large parks, and public infrastructure—without being limited to a specific subcategory to support impactful, long-term improvements to community services and quality of life.

Eligible uses include large-scale projects that enhance community engagement, safety, and health, such as renovations to public facilities, construction of nonprofit childcare centers, park and infrastructure upgrades, public safety enhancements, and associated professional services. A total of $7. 6 million has been designated for Community Facilities Grants (both Large and Small) in 2026.

This program funds projects to increase community engagement, health, connectedness and vibrancy in communities. Eligible expenses include: Public Facilities: Construction, major renovation, or expansions of existing libraries and senior centers. Community Centers: Major renovation or expansion of existing community centers.

Note: Communities interested in the construction of a new community center must apply through the Blueprint to Build grant program if their population is more than 1,500. Parks: Development or improvement of public parks, playgrounds, trails, shelters, public restrooms, fencing, and lighting. Non-profit Childcare Centers: Construction or renovation of childcare or early education centers.

Infrastructure: Installation or repair of streets, sidewalks, storm drains, curb cuts, and ADA accessibility improvements. Public Safety: Construction or renovation of public fire stations and fire truck purchases. All cities and counties in Kansas that do not receive an annual CDBG entitlement allocation from HUD are eligible to apply.

The following communities receive federal entitlements and are ineligible to participate in the state CDBG program: Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Overland Park, Topeka, Wichita, and all of Johnson County. All CDBG projects must meet a national objective and involve an eligible activity under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

National objectives are 1) benefiting Low- and Moderate-Income persons (LMI), 2) aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight, and 3) meet a need having a particular urgency (urgent need). All activities proposed in applications for the Community Facilities: Large Grants Program must meet the national objective of benefiting low- and moderate-income persons with a minimum of 51% LMI beneficiaries.

This can be accomplished either by using HUD census data or by completing an income-based survey. Applicants must receive CDBG approval before starting a survey and follow the approved income-based survey methodology. Grant applications are evaluated for funding based on project need, readiness, impact, sustainability, and matching funds source and availability.

Revised 2026 guidelines will be available in January.

Key considerations include: Demonstrating that alternative solutions were examined to address the facility need Projects that leverage local match amounts of 50% of the CDBG grant request will score higher At least 51% of all program participants must meet LMI (low-to-moderate income) requirements – which is at or below 80% of the Average Median Income for the county in which the family resigns Communities that have not received a CDBG grant for Community Facilities, Water and Sewer, or Youth Job Training in the past five years will be awarded five bonus points Five bonus points will be awarded if at least 10% of local match comes from other private sources such as foundations (not bonds or state and federal agencies) Local funding is required for all CDBG projects, and no project can be funded entirely by grants.

Matching funds can originate from private or public sources, but the application must document that these funds are firmly committed (e.g., a letter of commitment from a bank or other funding source). Examples of matching funds include bank loans, industrial revenue bonds, owners’ equity, contributions from local governments, or grants and loans from economic development entities.

Applicants are allowed to match CDBG funds with other grant funds if that funding is secured in a city/county account by the time the contract is signed. At least 10% of the matching funds must be cash from a local source (i.e., owner funds, city/county cash). Any expenses incurred prior to the grant award are ineligible for reimbursement with CDBG funds.

This includes grant writing, engineering, and architecture. Applicants must submit a pre-application to confirm eligibility before applying for CDBG funding. This process allows us to provide early feedback and address any eligibility concerns before applicants complete the full application, and ensures projects align with program goals and are prepared for funding.

The form requires a brief project description, estimated budget, eligibility status, and readiness to proceed. Can a community apply for more than one project? Communities may apply for multiple CDBG categories but can only be awarded up to two projects total , with no more than one from a major category.

Major categories include: Community Facilities: Large/Small, Blueprint to Build, Water and Sewer Infrastructure, and Regional Water Implementation​. For example, a city can submit applications for a Housing Rehabilitation and a Community Facilities: Large Grants project. However, a city cannot apply for both a Large and Small Community Facilities project.

What is the public hearing process? The local government must hold two public hearings to demonstrate that reasonable efforts have been undertaken to ensure involvement of citizens or citizen organizations throughout all stages of the program.

A notice about the hearing must be published in a local newspaper with the widest circulation, and it must appear at least 5 full days before the hearing —not counting the day it’s published or the day of the hearing itself. These hearings must be held at a time and location convenient to potential or actual beneficiaries, with accommodations for non-English speaking residents and persons with disabilities.

A sample public hearing notice is included in program guidelines. First Public Hearing : Must be held at least 15 full days before the CDBG application is submitted, and no earlier than 120 days . The purpose of the hearing is to inform citizens about the proposed project, including its location, total cost, activities, and beneficiaries.

Community members must be given a chance to suggest other project ideas and share their input, and the local governing body should carefully consider this feedback before submitting the application. The total project funding and CDBG amount requested must match what appears in the public hearing notice.

Second Public Hearing : Must be held at the conclusion of the project, prior to close out to inform citizens of the project’s successful or unsuccessful completion, and to obtain input on the grantee’s performance. Is an environmental review always required? Yes, all CDBG-funded projects are federally required to have an environmental review.

The Environmental Determination of Level of Review form must be submitted with the application. This will inform Commerce as to what level of environmental review you will undertake for your project if awarded. Post-award, the city or county must conduct a full environmental review of the project, even for small projects that don’t require construction .

This responsibility cannot be delegated and the cost to conduct the review must be paid with local funds . Project activities may not begin until after Commerce issues the environmental release of project funds. Can a community apply for a new community center through the Community Facilities: Large Grants program?

No, any community over 1,500 that wants to build a new community center must apply through the Blueprint to Build Program and select one of the available designs. However, updates and renovations of an existing facility are eligible items with Community Facility grant funding. Community Centers, Parks and Libraries typically are city wide projects.

To determine if that is the case, please contact the CDBG team for approval of your project area prior to application. Communities that have not received a CDBG grant for Community Facilities, Water and Sewer, or Youth Job Training in the past five years will be awarded five bonus points. Securing at least 10% of a project’s matching funds from a private funding source will result in an additional five bonus points on applications.

If your community does not automatically qualify as a 51% LMI (low-to-moderate income) community, an income based survey can be conducted in most circumstances to evaluate the current income climate of the community. Surveys must be pre-approved. Gathering letters of support is a great way to enhance your grant application.

Get a broad base of community leaders to confirm the importance of your project. See other communities that have received funding in past years The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program requires that each CDBG funded activity must either principally benefit low- and moderate-income (LMI) persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or meet a community development need having a particular urgency.

Based on program participants With an LMI (low- and moderate-income) of {{lmi}}%, you will have to survey and provide benefit to an area in your community with 51% LMI. Learn more about the survey process. View LMI Family Income Limits for LMI calculations are from the 2020 Census and LMI by household are from 2026 HUD Section 8.

Final LMI will be confirmed upon application review. Assistance from a professional with CDBG grant experience can help you streamline and strengthen your application. Some or all of the costs to engage help can be covered by your award.

Here are the background documents for the Commercial Rehabilitation grant that will help you apply. 2025 Community Facilities: Large Grants Guidelines (.

pdf) Get notifications for this year and next year Email Ginny Eardley, CDBG Specialist Incentives & Financing, Taxes, Credits & Exemptions, Site Selection, Doing Business in Kansas Infrastructure assessment, community planning, development support, and downtown activation Find a Job, Job Seeker Services, Employer Services Plan your trip to Kansas. Places to visit, things to do. Order a free Travel Guide.

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