January 9, 2008

Dear Friend of Community Development:

The City of Frederick, through the Department of Planning invites citizens, non-profit and for-profit organizations to submit applications for projects to be funded through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program as part of its 2008 Annual Action Plan. Funds are awarded by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and must be used for an Eligible Activity and meet a National Objective established by Congress for the Program.

The 2008 Annual Action Plan will include the projects to be undertaken during the program year beginning July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. Projects and programs undertaken by the City or by others must address a priority need set forth in the Consolidated Plan 2005 - 2010.

For FY 2008, the City anticipates available funding during FY2008 to be approximately $398,000. Final entitlement figures from the federal government should be available in February 2008. However, the final entitlement amounts may be significantly less than prior years, depending on Federal budget decisions. As permitted by HUD, a restricted portion of grant funds can be expended for public services and administrative and planning costs.

Attached is the proposed schedule for proposal submission and approval of the Annual Action Plan. As in year’s past, a group of ad-hoc advisors will assist Department staff in the selection process. The City will accept requests for funding beginning January 14, 2008 through February 22, 2008 at 12:00 noon. No CDBG funding requests will be accepted after the February 22, 2008 deadline.

If your organization is considering a project that is eligible for CDBG funding to help to implement the Consolidated Plan’s goals and objectives, please review the attached information sheet, complete the CDBG Funding Application and contact me to confirm your attendance at a mandatory CDBG Overview meeting on Tuesday January 29, 2008 at 1:00pm.

Thank you for your interest in the City’s CDBG program. If you have questions about the application process or wish to discuss a specific funding proposal, please feel free to contact me at 301 600-2840 or npurcell@cityoffrederick.com.

Sincerely,

Nichole Purcell, Planner II

CDBG & Housing Programs