Community Development Block Grant

The Community Development Block Grant Public Facilities program is administered by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs through its Division of Local Government. This program represents the state level administration of the federal Community Development Block Grant program for non entitlement municipalities and counties. The program is designed to support local governments in carrying out community development activities that address infrastructure and public facility needs, particularly in smaller communities that do not receive direct allocations from the federal government. The Division of Local Government oversees implementation, compliance, and funding distribution, ensuring alignment with federal housing and urban development priorities. The primary purpose of the program is to fund public facility and infrastructure projects that benefit low to moderate income populations, eliminate conditions of slum or blight, or address urgent community needs. Eligible projects include sewer and water system improvements, construction or rehabilitation of community centers, health clinics, shelters, food banks, and other nonprofit or public infrastructure. Funding is structured across two primary grant types: the Design Engineering and Environmental Clearance grant and the Construction grant, each targeting different phases of project development. The Design Engineering and Environmental Clearance grant provides financial assistance for early stage project preparation, including design, engineering, feasibility studies, planning, and environmental review activities. This grant has a maximum award of 50000 dollars and is intended to help communities prepare projects for future construction funding. The Construction grant supports the implementation phase, covering acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities. This grant offers significantly larger funding, with a maximum award of 600000 dollars. Eligibility for the program is restricted to units of general local government located in non entitlement areas. These include cities with populations under 50000 and counties with populations under 200000 that do not receive direct federal allocations. Projects must demonstrate that at least 51 percent of beneficiaries are low income or that the project area meets the same threshold. Local governments may apply on behalf of nonprofit organizations, but only governmental entities are eligible applicants. Several counties and cities are explicitly excluded due to their entitlement status. The application process requires coordination with a regional manager prior to submission. Applicants must use the online grants portal to complete and submit their application, including required documentation such as project budgets, financial information, environmental worksheets, and evidence of public participation. For construction grants, applicants must also submit design and environmental progress reports and obtain certification before applying. Applications can be saved and completed in stages within the portal system. The program operates on defined annual cycles for each grant type. The Design Engineering and Environmental Clearance grant opens on August 10 2026 and closes on September 15 2026. The Construction grant cycle runs from March 1 2026 through May 1 2026. Evaluation criteria are based on program specific scoring guidelines, and applicants are encouraged to consult program managers or regional staff for guidance. Reporting requirements are tied to broader federal planning and performance systems, including annual performance evaluation reports and consolidated planning frameworks maintained by the Division of Housing.

Review project with Regional Manager before applying. Download required documents in advance.