Housing and Neighborhood Development (HND) works to improve Polk County’s communities and help its most fragile residents. It does this by prioritizing federal and state grant funds across a range of policy areas including affordable housing development and preservation, homelessness and homeownership. HND develops activities directed toward revitalizing neighborhoods and partners with nonprofit organizations to improve communities for low and moderate-income residents. These policy areas are fundamental to HND to create strong, sustainable communities and quality affordable homeownership and multifamily housing.
If you are searching for information on housing assistance or affordable housing, HND can help.
This grant program provides communities with resources to address a wide range of unique community development needs. Each CDBG-funded project must meet one of three national objectives:
Benefit low and moderate income persons
Prevent or eliminate slum and blights
Meet other community development needs having a particular urgency
The Community Development Block Grant also funds the county’s demolition program, which is designed to eliminate slum and blight in unincorporated areas of Polk.
Polk County Board of County Commissioners Notification of a 30-Day Public Inspection Period and Public Meeting Notice and Request for Public Comment for the 2023-2024 Action Plan
Polk County is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to prepare a 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan to govern the use of Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and Home Investment Partnership (HOME) funds. These funds must primarily benefit low- and moderate-income persons and meet the following objectives: 1) Providing Affordable Housing that is both safe and decent, through construction/rehabilitation of owner-occupied units, rental assistance and preserving the housing stock. 2) Creating and maintaining a Suitable Living Environment, by providing needed infrastructure improvements, providing access to public facilities and public services, and reducing blighting conditions. 3) Expanding Economic Opportunities by supporting public services that help provide skills training, other tools needed to achieve self-sufficiency and promoting employment opportunities for low-income persons affected by activities and programs outlined in the 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan.
Section 3 of the United States Housing and Urban Development HUD Act of 1968, (12U.S.C. 1701u) (Section 3) and implementing regulations at 24 CFP Part 135 states the purpose of Section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by certain Housing and Urban Development (HUD) financial assistance shall, to the greatest extent feasible, and consistent with the existing Federal, State and Local laws and regulations, be directed to low and very low income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing and to the businesses which provide economic opportunities to these persons.
If you have questions, call the Housing and Neighborhood Department office at (863) 534-5244, or email NancyHurley@polk-county.net, labor and environmental compliance specialist. Visit HUD.GOV for additional information regarding Section 3.
A CHDO is a specific type of private nonprofit entity. CHDOs must meet certain requirements pertaining to its:
Legal status
Organizational structure, and
Capacity and experience
For more information about applying to be a Polk County CHDO, contact Nancy Hurley, housing compliance manager for the Polk County Housing and Neighborhood Development office at (863) 534-5244, or (863) 534-5240.
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