Purpose

The New York State Community Development Block Grant Program (NYS CDBG) is a federally funded program authorized by Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 administered by the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation’s Office of Community Renewal (OCR). The NYS CDBG Small Business Assistance program provides funds to communities in an effort to promote entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic development and growth while providing job opportunities for persons from low- and moderate-income (LMI) households.  A community can assist existing or start up small businesses by providing up to $25,000 of NYS CDBG funds for each permanent, full-time equivalent (FTE) job created or retained principally for persons from LMI households, not to exceed $100,000 for total award.  For the purpose of this program, a small business is defined as a commercial enterprise that is independently owned, operated and controlled, and has (25) twenty five or fewer FTE employees at the time of application.
 
Funding opportunities are available year round in a non-competitive, open window format. Through the NYS CDBG Small Business Assistance program, the OCR provides grants up to $100,000 to eligible communities that wish to sponsor economic development activities that create or retain jobs for persons from LMI households.   

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are non-entitlement units of general local government (villages, towns, cities or counties), excluding metropolitan cities, urban counties and Indian Tribes that are designated Entitlement communities. Non-entitlement areas are defined as cities, towns and villages with populations of less than 50,000, except those designated principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and counties with populations of less than 200,000.

Contact

NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal
Hampton Plaza
38-40 State Street, 9th Floor
Albany, NY 12207
(518) 474-2057