The funding categories are being monitored by St. Louis County. Check back with this page often as the content will be updated.
COMMUNITY/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Broadly, this category includes:
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for Community Development Block Grants ($1 billion)
- Economic Development Administration funding designated for the Economic Development Assistance Program ($150 million)
- U.S. Department of Commerce funding designated for Broadband Technology Opportunities Program ($4.35 billion)
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provided direct funding to St. Louis County through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for two programs. The programs and funding are as follows: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) - $654,860, Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) - $1,001,832.
HUD is currently working on notices and regulatory requirements for this new CDBG allocation. Performance expectations call for projects to be shovel-ready, create jobs and have secured required funding. We are currently reviewing infrastructure projects identified as meeting HUD’s performance standards. Targeting the new funding to these projects would expedite their implementation and may also reduce demands on the 2010 CDBG allocation.
On March 19, 2009, HUD published the notice for the HPRP program. This program will provide financial assistance and services to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless and help those experiencing homelessness to be quickly re-housed and stabilized. Funds cannot be used for mortgage assistance, construction/rehabilitation activities, or facility operations. Although the program uses the Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) formula for allocating funds, it is not an ESG program. We are working with St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services and the city of Duluth to review plans and needs to identify potential distribution and use of these funds.
Both programs will require a public comment period and amendments to the St. Louis County Consolidated Plan. We continue to get guidance and updates from HUD on a weekly basis. Watch here for further details about upcoming Board resolutions, public hearings and plan amendments.
The comment period is now open for the Homeless prevenetion and Rapid Rehousing Program Action Plan Amendment. A public hearing will be established for May 12. The amendment is available by clicking here.
On June 2, 2009 the County Board approved budgets to fund with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s Community Development Block Grant Recovery Program (CDBG-R) formulary allocation of $654,860. St. Louis County will provide funding to the communities of Chisholm in the amount of $404,850 for a water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure project, and to Cook in the amount of $250,000 for the replacement of a deteriorated and undersized water tank.
On September 15, 2009 the County Board approved funding awards for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) notified St. Louis County of a $1,001,832 allocation from the HPRP under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In order to receive this allocation, St. Louis County was required to submit to HUD a substantial amendment to its Consolidated 2008 Action Plan. The substantial amendment submission was approved by the County Board on May 12, 2009 by Resolution No. 09-221; HUD approved the County's amendment and awarded funding to St. Louis County in the amount of $1,001,832.
The following projects have been funded with the HPRP funds:
- Homeless Case Manager with AEOA
- Prevention Case Manager with AEOA
- Housing Specialist with AOEA
- Flex funds to distribute to individuals as needed through AEOA
- Legal assistance through the Legal Aid Service of Northeast Minnesota
- Prevention Case Manager with Life House
- Homeless Case Manager with Life House
- Weekend Case Manager with Life House
- Flex funds to distribute to individuals as needed through Salvation Army of Duluth
- Support for the HMIS reporting system through the Wilder Foundation.