Community Development Block Grant funds for 2013 total $12.7 million in improvement projects
COLUMBIA, S.C. – November 25, 2013 – Six communities across the state will benefit from public improvement projects supported by more than $2.8 million in funds from the latest round of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The South Carolina Department of Commerce is awarding CDBG funds to these local municipalities, representing 18,313 residents, for the following projects:
Hampton County – Health Department: $500,000
City of Hardeeville – Public Library: $500,000
City of Liberty – Commerce Drive Streetscape: $500,000
City of Walterboro – South Jefferies Streetscape: $500,000
City of Abbeville – South Main Streetscape: $454,545
Town of Cheraw – ACL Neighborhood Revitalization: $375,000
“The CDBG program continues to be a way to strengthen our local communities while encouraging further economic growth in those areas,” said Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt. “Through the implementation of these public projects, our state’s residents ultimately enjoy an improved quality of life, which is the hallmark of South Carolina as a place for attracting business.”
Commerce awards CDBG funds in the fall and the spring of each year. In the most recent grant round last spring, more than $9.9 million was awarded to fund 24 public infrastructure projects, including water and sewer upgrades, for a total of more than $12.7 million in CDBG funds awarded in calendar year 2013.
Selected through a statewide competitive process, local governments receiving CDBG funding are required to provide at least a 10 percent match in funding to complete the projects. Approximately 57 percent of those benefiting from the improvements in this grant round are in low- to moderate-income communities.
Grant funds are allocated on an annual basis to South Carolina from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Commerce administers the CDBG program on the state’s behalf. CDBG assists communities in providing housing, a suitable living environment and expanded economic opportunities.
All grants awarded through the CDBG program must meet at least one of three objectives:
•Benefit low- and moderate-income persons.
•Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions.
•Meet other urgent community development needs where existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to public health and welfare, and where other financial resources are not readily available to meet such needs.
For additional information on South Carolina’s CDBG program, including application guidelines and frequently asked questions, please visit www.cdbgsc.com.