Community Facilities

Community Facilities and Services Fund

One of the best ways to support community sustainability is to maintain existing community infrastructure and direct new development to use sustainable building practices and to locate in areas with existing infrastructure such as established neighborhoods and city centers.  Maintaining the financial and natural resources already invested in established infrastructure is a smart way to invest community resources for long-term sustainability.  Using full-cost accounting practices where customers are charged the full cost of providing, maintaining and replacing community infrastructure is key to long-term infrastructure sustainability.

The Community Facilities and Services Fund provides grants to communities for a variety of projects and activities primarily benefiting low- and moderate-income persons, including day care facilities, senior centers, vocational workshops and other community services such as stormwater projects. Projects are required to incorporate and support Iowa’s state sustainable principles.  Approximately $3 million in federal CDBG funds is available through an annual competition. Applications are usually due in January and award decisions are normally announced in March. For more information, contact cdbg@iowalifechanging.com or 515.725.3072.

All eligible applicants compete with every other city and county eligible for funding. Communities with populations less than 1,000 may receive up to $300,000, those with populations between 1,000 and 2,500 may receive up to $500,000, those with populations between 2,500 and 15,000 may receive up to $600,000, and those with populations greater than 15,000 population may receive $800,000 each year.

Communities with populations less than 300 are limited to $1,000 per capita, as are unincorporated areas of a county proposing direct service projects.

Links
Sustainability Resources for Community Facilities and Services
CDBG Application Materials