The Panhandle Area Development District is pleased to announce that staff members Amy Sapp, Regional Community Planner, and David Welanko, Grant Writing Specialist, recently returned from a weeklong Community Development Block Grant certification training course with the State of Nebraska Department of Economic Development. On Friday, 10/28/22, they were notified that they passed their exams and are not certified to administer CDBG projects.
The federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program offers funding for community and economic development projects to support additional federal, state, and private resource investment. Communities that receive CDBG funding use the grants to provide sanitary and safe housing, a suitable living environment, and expanded economic opportunities. CDBG funds are federal funds that DED receives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on an annual basis.
Communities can apply to use those funds for planning and construction projects that:
- Benefit low and moderate-income persons.
- Prevent of eliminate slum or blight conditions.
- Solve catastrophic health and safety threats.
PADD serves the 11 counties of the Panhandle with focus areas of business development, housing development, transportation planning, and community development. As a community member of PADD, they can assist your community with writing and administering the grant funds for a variety of community needs. The following grants are currently closed but will open again next year: Downtown Revitalization, Planning, Public Works – Facilities, and Public Works – Infrastructure. These CDBG Grants are currently open: Economic Development, Tourism Development, Youth Job Training. Please remember that all CDBG grants must be administered by a certified administrator.
PADD currently administers close to $4,000,000 in the following CDBG grants: Gering Economic Development, Crawford Wastewater, Sidney Tourism, Morrill/Scottsbluff Public Works. Big Springs Planning, and Lodgepole Water/Wastewater.
We are here to help grow our own and want everyone to succeed. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to send Amy Sapp an email at amys@nepadd.com or call 308-436-6584.
