The major responsibility of the Community Development Program is to manage the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). Community Development also administers the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG) and the Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) which are designed to assist homeless individuals and to provide affordable housing for low-income persons respectively in addition to the Community Services Program which is committed to supporting programs and initiatives that serve economically disadvantaged citizens of Beaver County and to providing programs and services that aid in removing barriers that prevent low-income persons from developing to their fullest potential.

The CDBG Program was established in 1975 with the passage of the Housing and Community Development Act. The act has been amended numerous times since 1975; however, the basic structure and design of the program remains the same as it was back then.

One of the basic provisions of the act is to designate areas of the country as urban communities if the areas meet certain criteria related to overall population, conditions of available housing, income levels of the area residents and other demographic information. Those areas or communities that meet all the required criteria are thus given urban county or urban community status making them eligible or entitled to a Community Development Block Grant each year. This grant called an "entitlement" is awarded to an eligible community each year by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The amount of the grant is based on a formula developed by HUD, which takes into consideration the various demographic data that was mentioned earlier in determining urban community status.

The ESG Program began in 1987 at which time the County received $54,000. The HOME Program started in 1993 at which time the County received $613,000.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the program, as established by the Housing and Community Development Act, is to provide financial assistance to areas experiencing a decline in population and a decline in its economic base that results in the overall decline of an area including high unemployment or under employment, deterioration of housing, deteriorating public facilities and infrastructure and the development of slum blight conditions.

Focus

The primary focus of the program is to support activities that will benefit low income individuals through improved housing, better employment opportunities, improved public facilities, provide a better quality of life and to support activities that will eliminate or prevent conditions of slum and blight throughout a community.

Goals and Objectives

The County hopes to accomplish 5 main goals:

1. Encourage business investment activities
2. Create long-term employment opportunities, especially for low income persons
3. Improve the overall environment
4. Expand affordable housing
5. Assist the homeless

To accomplish our goals, we wish to concentrate on four principal activities:

1. Improve and expand the public infrastructure
2. Rehabilitate or renovate buildings, houses, and properties
3. Encourage and support economic development
4. Provide supportive services to the homeless

Accomplishments

Specifically, we strive to carry out projects that will extend or replace water and sewer lines, improve or rehabilitate roads and streets, rehabilitate or renovate public and private housing and other non-residential public or private buildings, revitalize and improve our downtown business districts and assist businesses wishing to expand or locate in Beaver County by making loans available to them. The latter activity is provided through the Corporation for Economic Development's Business Development Fund.

Most of us are all too aware of the many problems the County has experienced over the last twenty-five (25) years or so that are related to the decline in employment opportunities, the decline in our public facilities and infrastructure, the decline in general economic conditions and the decline in our quality of life. These problems and conditions form the basis for the County's short and long-term goals to be carried out under the CDBG Program.

Citizen Participation

In order to manage and implement the Program in the most effective and efficient manner possible, we need to continually reevaluate our strategies, goals and objectives used to successfully carry out these plans.

The Community Development Program must provide an opportunity for the citizens of Beaver County to make their concerns and ideas known. Input from Beaver County citizens is important in the development of project activities for each CDBG Program Year. This is accomplished by holding public hearings prior to the submission of the Consolidated Plan to HUD.

National Primary Objectives

To achieve the goals of the CDBG Program, The Housing and Community Development Act establishes three primary conditions or criteria that must be met before funds can be utilized to support an activity. These are called the CDBG National Primary Objectives.

A CDBG Project must do one or more of the following:

    • Benefit low to moderate income persons
    • Prevent or eliminate a condition of slum and blight
    • Address a situation creating a threat to the health and safety of residents that has occurred in the last 18 months and

      for which there is no other source of funding available to carry out the activity.

The latter criteria is almost never used to qualify or make an activity eligible for funding under the CDBG Program because of the very stringent requirements that must be met according to applicable regulations. This criterion is used primarily in qualifying activities that would correct or repair problems resulting from major disasters. The only time it has been used in Beaver County was to assist in the repair of the Chippewa Township Sewage Treatment Plant that was destroyed by an explosion.

Eligible Activities

CDBG Program

• Construction or improvement of public facilities such as roads, streets, water lines, sewer lines, etc.
• Rehabilitation and preservation of privately owned buildings that will assist in improving the overall appearance and condition of an area
• Rehabilitation of low income public housing and other publicly owned residential buildings
• Rehabilitation of publicly owned non-residential buildings such as libraries and firehouses
• Provision of special economic development activities such as: the acquisition, construction,reconstruction or installation of commercial or business development that will result in the creation or retention of jobs primarily for low income persons
• Removal of architectural or other barriers to make buildings or sites accessible for the handicapped or elderly
• Provision of code enforcement activities to stop the decline of an area
• Preservation of historic buildings or areas
• Acquisition of real property to be used for future public purpose
• Demolition or clearance of buildings to eliminate blighted areas
• Carrying out various planning or study activities that will assist in meeting CDBG objectives.

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other activities that may meet the eligibility requirements as set forth in the CDBG regulations.

While there are many activities that can be supported under the Program, there are also specific activities that cannot be funded. Any activity that does not meet the basic criteria under the national primary objective regulations or are otherwise ineligible according to the regulations cannot be considered by the Program.

The purchase, construction, or renovations of buildings used for the general conduct of local government (except for removal of barriers preventing handicapped accessibility) are not eligible. Support of political activities is not eligible. The purchase of construction equipment, furnishings and personal property is also prohibited under CDBG regulations.