Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program

Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program is sponsored by Florida Commerce. Provides funding for public infrastructure and community development projects, including water, sewer, streets, sidewalks, parks, and stormwater improvements in small urban and rural Florida communities.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program is a federal program that provides funding for housing and community development activities. Congress created the program when it passed the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. The program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), consists of two components: 1.

Entitlement Program - funds are provided directly to urban communities. 2. State Program - funds are allocated to the states for distribution to eligible non-entitlement communities FloridaCommerce administers the State Program in Florida through the Small Cities CDBG Program.

This is a competitive grant program that awards funds to units of local government in small urban and rural areas. FloridaCommerce receives between 18 and 26 million dollars annually from HUD to award subgrants to eligible units of local government. The program provides an excellent opportunity for communities to obtain funds for projects that they cannot otherwise afford.

CDBG funds can also provide administrative support for local governments that may not have the staffing resources necessary to administer their projects.

Examples of CDBG-funded projects include: * Water and Sewer Improvements * Rehabilitation of Substandard Housing * Street and Sidewalk Improvements * Economic Development Activities that Create Jobs for Low-and Moderate-Income People * Downtown Revitalization, including Facade Improvements, Streetscaping, and Underground Utilities * Park Facilities and Community Centers * Drainage / Stormwater Improvements #### **Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Application Cycle** The Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)2025 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application cycle opened on April 6, 2026, and closed on May 20, 2026.

Funding is available for the Neighborhood Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation and Commercial Revitalization program areas. Non-entitlement units of local government are eligible to apply for funding in any of the three program areas if they have an open CDBG subgrant in one of the three areas. FloridaCommerce also has funding available in the Economic Development program area for job creation and/or retention activities.

Non-entitlement units of local government that have an open Neighborhood Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation, Commercial Revitalization or Economic Development subgrant are eligible to apply for Economic Development funding. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). doc?

sfvrsn=881fa083_1)was published on Friday, March 6, 2026. ##### **Small Cities CDBG Application Webinar** FloridaCommerce hosted webinar on Monday, April 6, 2026, at 1 p. m.

Eastern Time, to provide an overview of the grant process and technical assistance to complete and submit an application for the **Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program Funding**. The webinar was held via Microsoft Teamsand telephone at 850-988-5144 Conference ID 929 686 898#. **Date and Time**: April 6, 2026, at 1 p.

m. – 2 p. m.

, Eastern Time **Join by****Microsoft Teams** **Dial-In at** (850) 988-5144 **Phone Conference ID**: 929 686 898# ##### **Project Requirements** To be eligible for funding, an activity must meet at least one of the following National Objectives: * Benefit to Low-and Moderate-Income Persons - at least 51% of the beneficiaries must be low- and moderate-income persons (total household income is at or below 80% of the area's median income).

* Elimination of Slum and Blight - eliminate conditions of slum or blight as defined by state law and identified by the unit of local government on a spot or area basis. * Address an Urgent Need - the activity must alleviate a condition that poses a serious and immediate threat to those living in the area. The condition must have occurred within 18 months of application.

The unit of local government must demonstrate that it is unable to finance the activity on its own and that other funding is not available. HUD Guide to National Objectives and Eligible Activities. ##### **Administrative Rule** The administrative rule that governs the Small Cities CDBG Program is Rule Chapter: 73C-23, Florida Administrative Code.

##### **Funding Categories** The program focuses on the following four funding categories: 1. Commercial Revitalization 3. Housing Rehabilitation 4.

Neighborhood Revitalization Eligible units of local government can determine what their local community development needs are and then apply for funding in the related category. For more information about applying for funding, see Downloads and Information for Applicants.

##### **Eligible Applicants** The following units of local government are eligible to apply for Small Cities CDBG funds: * Cities with fewer than 50,000 residents that have not accepted special entitlement status and have not opted to join an entitlement program. * Counties with fewer than 200,000 residents. * Cities with more than 50,000 residents that have opted out of the urban entitlement program.

Visit downloads and information for applicants to see a list of local governments that HUD has identified as being eligible to apply for Small Cities CDBG funding.