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| Texas
Community Development Program |
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At
the present time this program is primarily used to address
problems involving public water and sewer systems. Traylor
& Associates has worked actively with this Program
since 1974; one of only two or three firms whose existence
goes back to the very beginning of the Program when communities
received these grants directly from HUD. Traylor and Associates
was actively involved in the transition of this Program
from federal to state operation, which occurred in 1983,
and was among the earliest advocates for the two-tiered
selection process, involving regional peer review, that
is still in use today.
The Texas Community Development Program (TDCP) uses federal
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to provide
a multi-faceted program of assistance to smaller communities
(non-metropolitan cities with populations less than 50,000,
and non-urban counties). The funds are received annually
in the form of a single block grant from the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) which is then allocated
by the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). These
funds must be used to "principally benefit low and
moderate income persons" (households earning 80%
or less of the area median family income) and are available
only to units of general local government (cities and
counties) that levy either a local sales or property tax.
The TCDP has several "funds," each of which
has its own purposes and requirements, as follows:
According to statute, the primary objective of the CDBG
program is to develop viable communities by providing
decent housing and suitable living environments, and expanding
economic opportunities principally for persons of low
and moderate income.
The Texas Community Development Program (TCDP) is the
largest in the nation. In FY 2001, the State was awarded
$88,604,000. The program serves approximately 1,031 eligible
rural communities, 247 rural counties, and provides services
to over 375,000 beneficiaries each year.
Of the 1,031 cities eligible for TCDP funds, 775 have
a population of less than 3,000 and 465 have a population
of less than 1,000. The demographics and rural characteristics
of Texas have shaped a program that focuses on providing
basic human needs and sanitary infrastructure to small
rural communities in outlying areas. Eligible activities
include sanitary sewer systems, clean drinking water,
disaster relief and urgent need projects, housing, drainage
and flood control, passable streets, economic development,
community centers, and other related activities.
When originally authorized by Congress in 1974, the CDBG
program signaled a move away from individual categorized
federal development assistance programs towards the block
grant model, which gives communities broader latitude
in using funds for a variety of development activities,
as long as they comply with some general, federal guidelines.
In 1981, Congress continued this shift toward more local
control, authorizing the individual states to take over
and operate the portion of the Program dealing with smaller
communities.
Learn more about TCDP by visiting ORCA'S
TCDP Webpage.
Traylor & Associates - Grant
Services & Fees
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