CDBG Program Planning

CDBG Action and Consolidated Plans

Each year, the City of Northampton receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). CDBG funds must be awarded primarily to projects, programs, and services that improve the lives of the city’s low- and moderate-income residents (individuals or families whose annual income does not exceed 80% of the Area Median Income as determined by HUD) and to urgent needs (i.e., COVID-19). A CDBG-funded activity must provide decent, safe, and sanitary housing; provide a suitable living environment, or expand economic opportunities. (See CDBG-Eligible Census Blocks Map for areas that are majority low- and moderate-income.) The City's profile page on the HUD website can be found here.

CDBG Planning Process

Every five years, the City submits its Five Year Consolidated Plan, a strategic plan of the priority community development needs that will be addressed using CDBG funds over the next five years. It includes a housing and homelessness needs assessment and a housing market analysis. Activities undertaken in an Annual Action Plan must address the consolidated plan’s priority needs.

The City must submit its Annual Action Plan to HUD, which includes: a citizen participation plan, a description of local service providers, City departments consulted, identification of the City’s priority housing, economic, and community needs. The Annual Action Plan includes the City's activities to address the identified needs for that specific program year.  

At the end of each program year, the City completes an annual CDBG Grant Performance Report.

Environmental Reviews 

Each CDBG project requires an Environmental Review Record (ERR) to be conducted by the Responsible Entity (City of Northampton) to analyze the effect that the proposed project will have on the people and the natural environment within the project area and the effect the material and social environment may have on a project. HUD rules and regulations that govern the environmental review process can be found at 24 CFR Part 58. The Certifying Officer is the Mayor and is the “responsible Federal official” to ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Federal laws and authorities cited at section 58.5 has been achieved. The Environmental Officer is the Community Development Planner. They are responsible for conducting the environmental review including writing the project narrative, obtaining maps of the project area, soliciting comments from appropriate local, state and federal agencies, and facilitating responses to comments received on the environmental findings.

Each responsible entity must prepare and maintain a written record of the environmental review undertaken for each project. This written record or file is called the Environmental Review Record (ERR), and it must be available for public review upon request. The ERR shall contain all the environmental review documents, public notices (and proof of their publication), and written determinations or environmental findings required by 24 CFR Part 58 as evidence of review, decision making and actions pertaining to a particular project. Public comments, concerns and appropriate resolution by the recipient are extremely important and must be fully documented in the ERR. When a Notice of Intent to Request Release of Funds is published, the corresponding ERR can be found at: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/environmental-review/environmental-review-records/ during the 7 day public comment period. 

More information regarding the Environmental Review process can be found at: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/environmental-review/