$12.9 million in Community Development Block Grants awarded for community improvement projects

TOPEKA -- The Kansas Department of Commerce has announced that 32 communities will receive federal grants for a variety of community improvement projects, including sewer and water projects, housing rehabilitation and community facilities improvements. These communities will share a total of $12,927,726 in federal grants.

Through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, 16 Kansas communities will share a total of $8,913,100 in federal grants for water and sewer projects, three Kansas communities will share $900,000 for housing rehabilitation and 13 communities will share $3,114,626 for community facility projects.

“We are excited to support so many deserving Kansas communities through CDBG grants,” said Interim Kansas Commerce Secretary Nick Jordan. “These federal grants help ensure our Kansas communities are kept beautiful, well-maintained and provide great places for Kansans to live, work, start businesses and raise their families.”

The CDBG program provides federal funds to local governments for the development of viable communities by addressing their housing, public facilities and economic development needs. To be awarded funds, local government units must meet at least one of three program objectives:

- The grant will benefit low and moderate-income persons

- The grant will prevent or eliminate slums and blight

- The grant will resolve an urgent need where local resources are not available to do so

The CDBG funds are one of the Department of Commerce’s primary tools in supporting the state’s small, predominantly rural communities.

To see the full list of communities that received the grant, visit the Kansas Department of Commerce website.