Community Development Block Grants

The City of Waukegan’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is administered by the City of Waukegan’s CDBG Department. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, providing annual formula grants to the City to support eligible community development activities that principally benefit low- and moderate-income persons. For Program Year (PY) 2026, the City is soliciting applications for funding under several categories, including Public Infrastructure & Facilities, Economic Development, and Human Services. One key category is the Public Infrastructure & Facilities application stream, intended to fund construction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities, infrastructure improvements (such as streets, curbs, water/sewer lines), and accessibility improvements that benefit the City’s residents. The scope of eligible activities under the Public Infrastructure & Facilities stream includes publicly-owned or nonprofit-owned facilities that are open to the general public, and improvements that help provide a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunity, especially for low- and moderate-income persons. Projects must align with the goals of the City’s Consolidated Plan – for example, goal CD-1 (improve public facilities and infrastructure via rehab, reconstruction, or new construction) and goal CD-3 (improve accessibility of public and common use areas). Spending rules specify that CDBG funds cannot be used for general operating expenses, maintenance, or new housing construction (except as allowed under limited conditions). The instructions emphasize that applications must clearly identify the national objective being met (benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, elimination of slum/blight, or urgent need), must demonstrate leveraged funds (minimum of 25% applicant match required for the infrastructure/facilities stream), and must commit to full federal regulatory compliance (e.g., environmental review, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage, audit and access to records). In terms of eligibility, applications are open to City departments (considered units of government) as well as nonprofit organizations that operate local public or community facilities serving Waukegan residents. Applicants must have been in existence for at least one year. Projects must directly benefit Waukegan and must not rely solely on CDBG funds; strong leveraging is encouraged. The minimum award in this stream is $10,000 and the maximum award is $100,000. The submission process for PY 2026: for this Infrastructure & Facilities category, the application deadline is Monday, December 15, 2025 by 4:00 pm. Applications must be submitted in the required fillable format and follow the provided instructions. After submission, proposals will be reviewed by the City’s evaluation process. Selected applicants will be notified in writing and will execute subrecipient agreements prior to the initiation of the project (no project costs may be incurred prior to authorization). Evaluation involves assessment of how well the project addresses the City’s priority needs (as defined in its Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan), the logical merit of the proposal, applicant capacity and past performance, compliance with federal regulations, the degree of leveraging, and anticipated measurable outcomes. Projects must typically be completed within 18 months from the date of fund distribution. Contacts and timeline: The City’s CDBG office can be reached for questions at (847) 599-2530 and via email at CDBG@waukeganil.gov. In summary, the PY 2026 CDBG Public Infrastructure & Facilities application offers local public bodies and nonprofits in Waukegan the opportunity to apply for CDBG funds between $10,000 and $100,000 for eligible infrastructure and facility-improvement projects that support low- and moderate-income persons, subject to federal compliance standards, leveraging requirements, and a structured evaluation and award timeline.

Clearly connect project to Consolidated Plan goals; ensure budget match