Cambridge Celebrates National Community Development Week

National Community Development Week is April 11-15, 2022. This weeklong celebration brings together communities across the nation to showcase the impact of the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), a federal entitlement grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). 

The CDBG program provides grants to over 1,200 local governments to create neighborhood approaches that improve the physical, economic, and social conditions in communities. In Cambridge, CDBG grants  fund a range of initiatives that support youth programs, workforce development, local business improvements, public services, and more. 

These initiatives are carried out by the City’s Community Development Department (CDD), the Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP), and various other local agencies, non-profit and for-profit businesses.   DHSP administers 15% of Cambridge’s annual CDBG funding through Public Services grants to community programs following funding recommendations from the Cambridge Human Services Commission.  Each year, the City provides services to approximately 6,500 low and low-moderate income individuals and families through 23 CDBG-funded Public Service grants. 

Some Cambridge CDBG highlights include:

• YouthBuild: As part of the City’s Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program, our community partner Just-A-Start provides employment and training skills to Cambridge youths while engaging them in rehab and development of affordable housing.
• Home Improvement Program: CDBG funds are used to support nonprofit housing agencies to provide technical and financial assistance to low- and moderate-income Cambridge homeowners to make needed repairs to their homes.
• Business Development Workshops: In the fall of 2021, CDBG funding supported training workshops for small business owners and entrepreneurs in topics such marketing, e-commerce, and accounting.
• 10-Week Business Planning Program: Since fall 2021, two cohorts of entrepreneurs (22 total participants) have developed full business plans over the course of 10 weeks where they learned about financing, marketing techniques, and pitching. A group of graduates brought their skills to the Popportunity Pop-Up Market in Central Square.
• Retail Interior Accessibility Program (RIAP): This program provides a 90-100% matching grant up to $10,000 to businesses owners seeking to make their business more accessible. Finished in October of 2021, The Mex Taqueria & Bar in Kendall Square used a $10,000 RIAP grant to remodel its bathroom to conform with ADA standards.
• Food Security: Food for Free delivers approximately 624,000 pounds of fresh produce and canned goods to 66 Cambridge food assistance programs, including food pantries, meal programs, youth programs, and shelters.
• Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Services: DHSP’s Multi-Service Center assists Cambridge residents facing housing instability by supporting assessment and case management, information and referrals, and counseling and support services.
• CASPAR Emergency Services Center and Shelter: CDBG Public Services funds support CASPAR, which provides emergency shelter services for individuals who are using drugs and alcohol.
• SCM Transportation: This program provides medical transportation and nutritional shopping trips to seniors and people with disabilities.
• After-School and Year-Round Employment Programs: CDBG Public Services funds support the Cambridge Housing Authority’s after-school life skills program, with emphasis on SAT prep, college readiness, employment coaching, and more for youth residing in public housing developments.

Each year, the Community Development Department develops a draft plan for allocating federal funds for the coming year. The proposed action plan is available now for review and comment and describes how the City anticipates using CDBG, as well as HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funds. Anyone interested in providing comments about the draft action plan can do so until May 6, 2022 by emailing Robert Keller, rkeller@cambridgema.gov or mail - City of Cambridge Community Development Department 344 Broadway, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Check out @CDDat344 on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) this week to see National Community Development Week highlights and follow the hashtag #CDWeek2022 to see how other communities are benefiting from the CDBG program.