Biden-Harris Administration Allocates $18.8 Million for Delaware’s Economic Growth Through Affordable Housing, Community Development, and Homeless Assistance

May 8, 2024

Funding Empowers Delaware Communities: Addressing Local Needs, Driving Economic Growth, and Enhancing Resilience through Job Creation and Housing Solutions

PHILADELPHIA PA – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has unveiled a $5.5 billion funding initiative, dispersing over 2,400 grants to 1,200 communities nationwide, including States, urban counties, insular areas, DC, Puerto Rico, and various localities. These vital annual formula grants offer flexible resources to address diverse local needs, spanning from building homes to supporting renters and homeowners, extending life-saving aid to the homeless, generating employment opportunities, and enhancing public facilities, community resilience, and local economies. The White House announced this morning’s allocation, with HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman set to spotlight the initiative at a press conference in Reno, Nevada.

Delaware stands to benefit significantly, receiving $7,765,817 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), along with a total of $18,817,654 in funding.

 

State	CDBG	HOME	RHP	ESG	HOPWA	HTF	Total
Delaware	$7,765,817	$4,587,747	$1,430,099	$665,799	$1,368,098	$3,000,095	$18,817,654

The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Formula

CDBG		ESG		HOPWA		HTF
	$2,752,623		$1,430,099		$3,000,000		$263,071
Dover	$309,594		$0		$0		$0
Wilmington	$2,250,876		$0		$623,687		$193,282
New Castle County	$2,452,724		$0		$964,060		$209,446

“Homeownership is an essential part of the American Dream that represents so much more than a roof over our heads. For people all across our nation, a home represents financial security, the opportunity to build wealth and equity, and a foundation for a better future for themselves, their children, and future generations,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “That is why President Biden and I are expanding on our historic investments in housing by announcing $5.5 billion that will increase access to affordable housing, invest in economic growth, and address homelessness in communities throughout America. This funding will build more affordable homes and support renters and homeowners while also lowering costs, building wealth, and creating jobs.”

“A coordinated whole-of-community approach is crucial to build strong and resilient communities, invest in decent housing, create healthy environments, expand economic opportunities accessible to low-income households, and support aspiring homebuyers and those experiencing homelessness,” said Acting HUD Secretary Adrianne Todman. “The funding made available today serves as building blocks to empower communities to take ownership of community development investments and put the needs of residents first.”

“For 50 years HUD has provided flexible grant funding so that communities nationwide can make their own choices about addressing their most urgent challenges. These funds will be used to create permanent housing, offer temporary shelter, provide downpayment assistance for ready homebuyers, support community infrastructure – like water and sewer projects – and invest in small businesses,” said Marion McFadden, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development.

HUD Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles added “With a focus on housing stability, economic empowerment, and community resilience, these funds serve as catalysts for progress, ensuring that every individual has access to the cornerstone of the American Dream: a place to call home and the opportunity to thrive.”

The next step is for communities to seek public feedback on their proposed use of the funds. Find your local grantee on our HUD Exchange website here [u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net].

The grants announced today are provided through the following HUD programs: 

• $3.3 billion to 1,254 grantees to build stronger communities — The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) provide annual grants on a formula basis to States, cities, counties, and insular areas to develop stronger, more resilient communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income people. In 2023 the program helped over 62,000 families through housing activities, 25,500 individuals through job creation or retention, 52,000 people experiencing homelessness through improvements to homelessness facilities, over 5.4 million people through public services, and over 41.8 million people through public improvements.

• $1.3 billion to 668 grantees to build affordable housing — The HOME Investment

Partnerships Program (HOME) is the primary Federal tool of States and local governments to produce affordable rental and owner-occupied housing for low-income families. HOME funds a wide range of activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or homeownership or providing direct rental assistance to low-income people. HOME projects leverage non-federal funds including, in many cases, tax credits for affordable rental housing. In 2023 the program helped create over 13,000 units of housing and more than 13,000 households were assisted with tenant based rental assistance through the HOME program.

• $455 million to 130 grantees to connect people with HIV/AIDS to housing and support — The Housing Opportunities for Persons With HIV/AIDS (HOPWA) program provides stable and permanent housing assistance and supportive services to low-income people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Over 100,000 households receive HOPWA housing assistance and/or supportive services annually.’
• $290 million to 357 grantees to address homelessness — Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) provides funds for homeless shelters, assists in the operation of local shelters, and funds related social service and homeless prevention programs. Recipients enable people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness. ESG funds may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and rapid re-housing assistance. Annually, ESG connects over 350,000 people to emergency shelter as they transition to permanent housing.

• $30 million to 23 States and the District of Columbia to support recovery from substance use disorder — The Recovery Housing Program (RHP) allows States and the District of Columbia to provide stable, transitional housing for individuals in recovery from a substance-use disorder.

• $214 million to every state to increase affordable housing supply – Housing Trust Fund (HTF) is an affordable housing production program that complements existing Federal, state and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, including families experiencing homelessness. HTF is a formula-based program for States and U.S. Territories. By law, each state is allocated a minimum of $3 million. State affordable housing recipients will use these funds for the eligible activities including real property acquisition, site improvements and development hard costs, related soft costs, demolition, financing costs, relocation assistance, operating cost assistance for rental housing (up to 30% of each grant), and before reasonable administrative and planning costs. In 2023 the program helped create over 1,681 units of affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households.