Community Development Application Instructions

Annually, Pinellas County receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be used to support community development activities to build stronger and more resilient communities and to address the needs of the homeless and those at-risk of homelessness.

Pinellas County is soliciting requests for funding from qualified and capable organizations implementing programs in Pinellas County, benefitting low- and moderate-income residents, consistent with the objectives of the CDBG and ESG grants. Applicants must be able to demonstrate ability to successfully meet these objectives in compliance with all applicable federal and County requirements pursuant to the use of CDBG funds.

Please select the correct application link for your project and complete all questions and requests for information. This will guide you in providing us with the information needed to determine the eligibility and viability of your project.

The application links are as follows:

APPLICATION TITLE	EXAMPLES
PUBLIC FACILITY Accepting applications for activities which serve low- and moderate income or special needs populations (including the homeless).	Acquisition, rehabilitation, construction, etc. of facilities serving low- and moderate-income persons/families or special needs groups.
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE Accepting applications from cooperating cities for capital projects in designated areas.	Capital projects such as streetscapes, road improvements, sidewalks, etc. in areas designated as CRAs and other slum/blight areas, or low- and moderate-income areas.
PUBLIC SERVICES Accepting applications from agencies that serve low- and moderate income or special needs populations (including the homeless).	Activities such as recreation support programs in target areas and operational cost of services for agencies serving low- and moderate-income persons/families or special needs groups (including homeless).

Note: Applications for grant funding for public facility, public infrastructure or public service applications are for activity expenses beginning October 1, 2024. Expenses incurred prior to October 1, 2024, are not eligible for grant fund reimbursement.

Application Selection Criteria

In addition to the HUD requirements described below, selection of activities for CDBG funding is based on a competitive process according to, but not limited to, the following:

• Organizational Capacity: Organization’s capacity to manage the project.
  • Organizational skill set, experience, staff capacity; experience successfully administering similar CDBG funded projects; experience administering other federal and/or state grants.
• Project Costs/Budget: Is the budget reasonable and match the scope of work.
  • Recent cost estimates based on reliable sources; complete budget that clearly identifies how project funds will be utilized; budget includes all funding sources for total project costs.
• Project Readiness: How quickly can the project begin and can it be completed within the fiscal year.
  • Clearly defined project schedule; identifies how project will be completed and funds expended in the provided timeline.
• Project Impact/Need: Application identifies a significant community need, provides evidence of the need, and how the proposed project addresses the identified need.
  • Necessity/severity of need detailed (evidence of facility deterioration, environmental noncompliance, health, and safety impact); proposed project identifies how it addresses the need; project retains or continues an existing service; project expands number of clients served.
• Project Beneficiaries/Outcomes: Outcomes are defined, can be measured, defines benefit to client.
  • Clearly defines how information will be tracked/collected and how it will be documented; significant impact on residents served and on community.
• County Strategic Plan:  Does the project align with the Board of County Commissioners Strategic Plan goals.
• 5-Year Consolidated Plan: Is project consistent with the County’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan priorities and have approval of the local jurisdiction in which the activity is located.
• Leverage: Non-County Community Development funding contributed to total project cost.

Contractual and Implementation Requirements

Grant recipients, also referred to as Subrecipients, will be required to enter into a contractual agreement with Pinellas County to receive a CDBG or ESG grant award. The agreement contains the federal requirements for receiving a CDBG or ESG grant, as well as the program/project description, timeframe, budget, scope of services, reporting requirements, and outlines other federal grant requirements.

Subrecipients of CDBG or ESG funds must comply with federal grant regulations. Please consider the following when completing the application:

• Audit Requirements – Agencies expending $750,000 or more during the fiscal year in Federal Awards must have a single or program-specific audit conducted for that fiscal year. Agencies must provide the most recent audited financial statements, single/program-specific audit and management letter. Agencies that do not meet the $750,000 Federal expenditure threshold must submit IRS 990 Form and attachments.
• Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) – Any CDBG funded construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair project using steel or iron, including buildings and real property, including housing, utilities, water systems (drinking water and wastewater), electrical transmission facilities and systems, broadband infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure projects, where the total of any federal financial assistance in the project is $250,000 or greater, are subject to the Build America, Buy America Act where all iron and steel products used in the project must be produced in the United States.
• Competitive Procurement – Any CDBG funded project used to purchase goods or services must follow a competitive procurement process. HUD requires the procurement process to receive an adequate number of quotes, which generally is 2 sources. Applications for funding requests over $100,000 will be required to publicly advertise for the solicitation of sealed bids from a licensed General Contractor.
• Davis-Bacon Federal Labor Standards – Any construction, rehabilitation, alteration, or repair project costing $2,000 or more is subject to Davis-Bacon Labor Standards. Davis-Bacon requires contractors to pay prevailing federal wage rates and fringe benefits. Additionally, workers must be paid weekly, and certified payrolls must be submitted weekly. All construction work is covered by this provision, regardless of the amount of federal funds applied towards the project.
• Environmental Review – All projects awarded CDBG funds are subject to an environmental review. Projects may be subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews, depending on the scope and activities. The level of review will be assessed after a project is recommended for funding.
• Section 3 – Housing construction, housing rehabilitation, or other public construction projects, and related contracting opportunities are subject to Section 3 requirements if the amount of HUD funding, including CDBG, exceeds $200,000. Section 3 requires recipients of HUD funding, to the greatest extent feasible, to direct employment, training, and contracting opportunities to low-income individuals and the businesses that employ these persons within their community, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing or residents of the community in which the federal funds are spent. Where feasible, a grantee and its recipients should give priority for contracting opportunities and training to Section 3 workers residing within the service area or the neighborhood of the project, and participants in YouthBuild programs.
• Restriction of Use (if applicable) – For CDBG grant awards more than $25,000, for projects involving acquisition or construction/rehabilitation, the Subrecipient and County agreement will include land use restrictions, to be recorded in Official Records, for a period of time determined by the total amount of CDBG funding invested in the project.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program

CDBG funds can be used for community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low- and moderate-income residents, including homeless and special needs populations. Activities may address needs such as infrastructure, economic development projects, public facilities installation, community centers, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, homeowner assistance, etc.

Program Requirements for the Use of CDBG Funds

HUD requires that the activities funded with CDBG funds meet the following criteria:

• The project must meet a HUD CDBG National Objective.
• The project must meet local goals and objectives as outlined in the County’s Consolidated Plan.
• The project must be eligible based on HUD’s definition.
• Eligible organizations must be nonprofit 501 (c) (3) agencies serving residents of the Pinellas County Urban County. Organizations based outside the Urban County may be eligible if the proposed project is located in the County and majority of the proposed beneficiaries are Urban County residents.
  • If the project is not located in the Urban County, please provide documentation that shows the project serves primarily Urban County residents.
  • The Urban County consists of all unincorporated areas of the County and the eighteen cooperating municipalities participating in the County’s program. The cooperating municipalities are identified below.

Belleair	Indian Rocks Beach	Oldsmar	South Pasadena
Belleair Beach	Indian Shores	Redington Shores	Tarpon Springs
Belleair Bluffs	Kenneth City	Safety Harbor	Treasure Island
Dunedin	Madeira Beach	St. Pete Beach
Gulfport	North Redington Beach	Seminole

CDBG National Objectives

To qualify for CDBG funds, a project must meet the Low- and Moderate-Income (L/M) Benefit National Objective. This means that an activity must benefit L/M persons or households. This is accomplished by:

• providing services to individuals or households with incomes at or below 80% of area median income (AMI) (see Attachment A), or
• providing services to persons presumed to be L/M such as abused children, battered spouses, severely disabled adults, homeless persons, persons with HIV/AIDS, and the elderly, or
• providing an activity which is available to benefit all residents of an area, which is primarily residential, predominantly inhabited by L/M residents (at least 51% of residents).

County Priority Needs/Goals

In addition to meeting a “national objective,” applicants are required to develop projects that address the County’s priority needs and meets at least one of the County’s goals identified in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan:

County Goals

• Public Facility Improvements – Provide funding for the acquisition, design/engineering and/or construction/rehabilitation of facilities that benefit low- to moderate-income, homeless, and/or special needs populations.
• Public Services – Provide funding for operating expenses of public services that benefit low- to moderate- income, homeless, and/or special needs populations.
• Elimination of Slum and Blight – Provide funding to eliminate or prevent slum and blight to assist in restoring economic vitality in blighted areas or on a spot basis.
• Code Enforcement – Provide funding for the payment of salaries and overhead costs directly related to the enforcement of local codes in deteriorating or deteriorated areas in Target Areas.
• Economic Development – Provide activities that create economic opportunities for low- and moderate- income persons or within low- and moderate-income areas.
• Neighborhood Improvements – Provide funding for public facility improvements, physical improvements, and comprehensive neighborhood planning activities in Target Areas, and HUD designated Low-Mod Areas to improve the quality of life and health of neighborhood residents. Target Areas include Central Lealman Target Area, East Lealman Target Area, Greater High Point Target Area, Tarpon Springs Target Area, and Greater Ridgecrest Target Area.
• Preservation of Housing – Provide funding for the acquisition and/or rehabilitation/preservation of housing affordable to low- and moderate-income residents.
• Production of Housing – Provide funding for the acquisition, development, and/or construction of new housing units affordable to low- and moderate-income residents.
• Homeownership Opportunities – Provide funding for direct assistance to prospective low- and moderate- income homebuyers, including down payment and closing cost assistance, credit counseling, and/or homeownership education/training.
• Rental Assistance – Provide funding for rental assistance and security/utility deposits for income-eligible individuals/households or rapid rehousing for individuals/households at-risk of or already experiencing homelessness.
• Shelter and Housing for the Homeless – Provide funding for the acquisition, construction, and/or rehabilitation of shelter facilities and housing for the homeless.

Eligible Activities

HUD regulations also specify categories of activities that are eligible for CDBG funding. According to federal CDBG regulations outlined at 24 CFR 570, the basic eligible activities include a variety of uses including homeownership activities, rental housing activities, public facilities, and public services. The following list includes possible activities that organizations may implement with CDBG dollars:

• Acquisition of real property by purchase, long-term lease, or donation.
• Acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities and improvements. Examples include, but are not limited to, water and sewer facilities, streets, neighborhood centers, childcare centers, senior centers, and the conversion of school buildings for eligible purposes.
• Clearance, demolition, and removal of buildings and improvements.
• Economic Development – microenterprise and small business development, large-scale commercial and industrial development, and job creation, job retention, and job training activities.
• Public Facilities and Improvements – acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public facilities and improvements. Examples include, but are not limited to, streets, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, water and sewer facilities, aesthetic amenities on public property, historic preservation of publicly and privately owned, non-residential, historic properties, neighborhood centers, childcare centers, senior centers, group homes for the developmentally disabled, emergency shelters and transitional housing for the homeless and the conversion of school buildings for eligible purposes. Sustainability – Pinellas County encourages innovative and sustainable design to include photovoltaic energy systems (solar), energy and water efficient and environmentally sustainable features that incorporate green building standards.
• Public Services – costs of operating a facility providing services to a specific group of people, at least 51% of whom are L/M persons or households. Examples include, but are not limited to, childcare, job training, recreation programs, education programs, fair housing activities, senior services, homeless services, and substance abuse counseling/treatment.

Ineligible Activities

• Acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of buildings for the general conduct of government, general government expenses, political activities.
• Purchase of construction equipment, fire protection equipment, furnishings, and personal properties, operating, and maintenance expenses.
• Income payments.
• Construction of new housing.

Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program

ESG funds can be used to address the needs of homeless people in emergency or transitional shelters to assisting people to quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis and/or homelessness.  Activities may engage homeless individuals and families living on the street; improve the number and quality of and help operate emergency shelters for homeless individuals and families; provide essential services to shelter residents; rapidly re-house homeless individuals and families; and prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless

Program Requirements for the Use of ESG Funds

ESG funds may only be used to address the following program components:

• Street Outreach – costs of providing essential services necessary to reach out to unsheltered homeless people; connect them with emergency shelter, housing, or critical services; and provide urgent, nonfacility based care to unsheltered homeless people who are unwilling or unable to access emergency shelter, housing, or an appropriate health facility.
• Emergency Shelter – costs of providing essential services to homeless families and individuals in emergency shelters, renovating existing emergency shelters or buildings to be used as emergency shelter for homeless families and individuals, and operating emergency shelters.
• Rapid Re-Housing – costs of activities designed to move homeless people quickly to permanent housing through housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance.
• Homelessness Prevention – costs of activities designed to prevent an individual or family from moving into an emergency shelter or living in a public or private place not meant for human habitation through housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and/or medium-term rental assistance.
• HMIS (Homeless Management Information System) – costs of participation in the Pinellas Homeless Management Information System (PHMIS), costs for managing the HMIS system, victim services or legal services providers costs to establish and operate a comparable database.

All ESG funded activities must participate in the Pinellas Homeless Management Information System (PHMIS).

Additional information on ESG eligible activities and eligible costs can be found in the ESG Program Component Quick Reference guide at https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/ESG-Program-Components-Quick-Reference.pdf.

Outcome Performance Measurement

Recipients of federal funding are required to assess the outcomes of projects/programs by establishing and tracking measurable goals and objectives. All approved applicants will be required to comply with the Performance Measurement requirements.

Outcome Measurement

What indicators, verifiable information or data will be used to measure an outcome to see if it was attained?

These outcome measurements will vary depending on the project. In addition to traditional measures of outputs, i.e., number of persons served, services provided, etc., outcome language describes the impact of the activity on the client.

The following is the performance measurement indicators for public facility projects:

• Public facility or infrastructure: This indicator shows the number of persons that have been assisted by public facility or infrastructure activities that provide individuals with new or improved access to the facility or infrastructure. If the activity was used to meet a quality standard or to measurably improve quality, then this indicator will report the number of household units that no longer have access to a substandard service.

Examples:

• 100 homeless persons will have new access to a shelter as a result of the project which constructed a new emergency shelter facility.
• 52 households will have access improved, no longer substandard access to public sewer services as a result of the public sewer construction project.
• 2,000 very low-income persons will continue to receive services at the facility as a result of the facility roof replacement project.

Technical Assistance

Community Development Division staff is available to help with technical advice and to answer any questions. To discuss whether a specific project meets both HUD’s and the County’s requirements, you may contact Brook Gajan, Compliance Manager at 727-464-8232 or by e-mail at cdplanning@pinellas.gov.