Get Ready for National Community Development Week

Mark your calendars! The week of April 10-14th is National Community Development Week! So why am I telling you now? You need time to plan a party!

Ok, it may not be a party. But it is a week that should have significance to your community and others around the country. The Council of State Community Development Agencies leads the way each year. Their website is packed with information, videos, templates and more to help make your celebration of National Community Development Week a success.

But don’t mistake the purpose of the week. It is not directed at overall community development. It is a week that points out the importance of Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to communities throughout the nation.

The National Community Development Week Tool Kit

The COSCDA website provides a full tool kit for those who want to bring attention to Community Development that week. There is a myriad of sample documents from proclamations to resolutions that your community can use to celebrate the week. It’s good timing to download those templates now for Council agendas in April. Although it is the 2022 version an easily updated full toolkit is available here:

National CD Week Toolkit

A Good Time to Plan

National Community Development Week is a great time to think about your next CDBG project. To prioritize those projects that may be eligible to receive CDBG funding and to start down the path towards applying for funding.

As April is National Fair Housing Month and May is National Affordable Housing Month, looking to CDBG to help your housing stock. In 2021 we looked at how CDBGs can Help Maintain Affordable Housing.

We’ve also profiled how the City of Clarinda, Iowa, has used CDBG funding to help with downtown revitalization.

Whatever the project, utilize the week to start momentum towards your next CDBG-funded project to help your community.