24-02-2025
Six organizations in Grand Forks to receive Community Development Grant dollars this year
Feb. 24—GRAND FORKS — Six organizations across Grand Forks were selected to receive funds through the city's annual Community Development Grant programs.
A total of $569,135 was available in the competitive grant pool for the capital improvement and operational fund programs. The Grand Forks City Council approved the allocation of the funds at two meetings in February with the goal of helping ease homelessness and housing insecurity in the city.
"We have some exciting notes too," Collin Hanson, community development manager for the city told the council earlier this month. "We may have
seen that the Grand Forks Senior Center is well on its way.
... The United Way was recently in the Herald as well with opening their brand-new family shelters,
all things that the city is proud to help support those agencies (with) and continue to serve those folks."
Funds are given through two programs — the Community Development Block Grant program and the Community Services Grant program
. Applications opened in November and were reviewed by the Community Advisory Committee in January.
The CDBG program, the capital project grant program, has $410,000 available for use this year. The program is funded through federal funds the city receives from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. There was less money than there was in 2024, but the program has had higher amounts than usual, due to the sale of the Corporate Centers downtown.
A total of $904,357 was requested by organizations for capital funds. Northlands Rescue Mission; United Way of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Area; and Grand Forks Homes were given funds for infrastructure rehabilitation. Priority has been given to projects that are shovel-ready.
The CSG program, the operating grant program, had $159,235 available for 2025. This was about the same that was available in the program last year, but this year the maximum grant award amount was increased to $50,000 from $30,000. These funds come from sales tax revenue.
A total of $285,000 was requested by organizations in Grand Forks for operational funds. Funds were given to Grand Forks Homeless Helpers; St. Joseph's Social Care; Northlands Rescue Mission; United Way of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Area; and Spectra Health.
At the same time, the city is looking toward
the final stages of its next consolidated action plan for HUD.
The plan sets out the city's priorities and plans for the allocation of federal funds and is a requirement to be done every five years. However, with the change to a new president, guidelines change.
"In four years we don't know what the next administration is going to be between the Obama administration, the Trump administration, the Biden Administration and now a Trump administration," Hanson said. "We've seen about four or five different versions of a fair housing requirement come and go."
There's a public hearing on the plan scheduled for April 7. The public can comment and view the draft plan on the city's website.
