Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) is sponsored by Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (CARPDC). Through CDBG funding, CARPDC assists low and very low-income families with essential home repairs, including health and safety and structural deficiencies. While not exclusively for churches, municipalities can extend CDBG funds to church-run community programs.

Community Development - Central Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission CARPDC promotes Community Development through convening regional partnerships and coalitions of elected officials, non-profits, private business and community leaders that work together to achieve community (quality of life) development and tourism projects.

CARPDC convenes such coalitions including: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) The CDBG program is by far the largest grant program CARPDC assists its local governments in accessing.

This program utilizes Federal grant dollars administered through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to assist communities with improving serious health and welfare concerns as well as for accomplishing quality of life projects beyond the more basic and essential needs of its residents. This program offers three funding categories to accomplish these goals.

They include the Competitive Fund for Counties, Large Cities and Small Cities to compete for grant funds from their respective category for projects such as water and sewer extensions, housing rehabilitation, demolition, and drainage; the Community Enhancement Fund which allows projects beyond those providing for essential needs like community and senior centers, fire protection, recreational facilities, and removal of architectural barriers; and the Planning Fund which assists local governments having a need for comprehensive planning or other planning such as elements of comprehensive plans, downtown revitalization plans, and components of regional studies.

Project River Region is a coalition that was started in February of 2012 through a meeting of regional partners with a common interest: developing and marketing river recreation (blue ways) as well as multi-purpose trails (green ways) in the River Region. Blue ways and green ways in the River Region are at different stages of development.

Some are already established, some are in the process of being constructed and some are in the planning stages. The Project River Region Coalition is working to share best practices and develop a unified tourism/marketing plan that will help make the River Region a destination for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking and outdoor recreation, while providing wonderful quality of life enhancements for residents.

The River Region Obesity Task Force In 2010, the Montgomery, Alabama Metro Area tied with Stockton, CA for the most-obese metro area in America according to Gallup. In response, Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange appointed Michael Briddell “Health and Wellness Czar” to address the issue of obesity in the River Region.

Mr. Briddell tasked CARPDC with forming the River Region Obesity Task Force (RROTF), a partnership of local governments, health care providers, community organizations, employers, churches, state and regional partners. Your Individualized Community Development Coalition Whether you need new water or sewer infrastructure, a community park or a school garden, CARPDC is here to work with you to establish a coalition in your community.

We are stronger together. CARPDC assists these coalitions by inviting potential partners, convening regular meetings, as well as developing grant applications for planning, infrastructure, marketing and implementation projects that meet the goals of a coalition’s partners. Please contact our office to provide feedback on projects, or to join or establish a coalition.

CARPDC, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), as well as both the Alabama and River Region Obesity Task Forces encourage you to Make a Good Choice: Rethink Your Drink! You can view and print ADPH’s recommended guidelines for healthy beverage consumption. Please note that there are two sets of recommendations, one for adults and one for children .

Thank you! For additional information concerning the transportation plan contact Greg Clark. Montgomery, Alabama 36104 As an organization of outreach and service to the Region, we stand on the values of professionalism, integrity, coalition building, adaptability, and reliability.

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