Mississippi Community Development Block Grant – Economic Development Program

Mississippi Development Authority

Program Type:

Grant

Eligible Geography:

Mississippi

Summary:

The federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides funding to communities to help them ensure basic community services, environmental quality and economic opportunities for their residents. The program's objective is to stimulate job creation in the communities. Projects must meet at least one of the following national objectives to be considered for CDBG
assistance:
-Benefit persons of low- and moderate income
-Aid in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight
-Meet urgent needs because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community and other financial resources are not available to meet such needs

Mississippi’s CDBG Economic Development program provides funding for eligible public infrastructure
improvements and publicly owned building improvements to support businesses launching, locating or
expanding in the state. Job creation is critical to CDBG-assisted economic development projects, and a
company benefiting from CDBG Economic Development assistance provided to a municipality or county on its behalf must commit to make a certain capital investment and create a certain number of jobs.
In addition, the CDBG program requires that at least 51 percent of the jobs created must be made available to persons of low and moderate income as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eligible Recipients:

Local Government

Eligible Recipients Detail:

Municipalities and counties not eligible for HUD CDBG Entitlement Programs. Industries that are typically eligible for assistance through this program include manufacturers, warehouses and distribution centers, research and development facilities, telecommunications and data processing enterprises and national or regional headquarters.

Eligible Purpose:

Building Infrastructure; Anchor Institution Infrastructure; Last Mile Infrastructure; Digital Skills Training; General Infrastructure (Attached to Job Creation); Broadband Enabled Devices

Eligible Purpose Detail:

CDBG funds can be used for a variety of activity related to broadband-deployment, including:

-Infrastructure development, internet access, wiring, hardware and software purchases, development and construction of computer rooms, digital literacy classes/economic development, etc.
-Public facilities and improvements (includes infrastructure and excludes buildings for the general conduct of government).
-Reconstruction and rehabilitation (housing).
-Public services (education/training).
-Activities carried out through a private or public non-profit.
-Economic development assistance to a for-profit business.