DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY

AND APPLICATION WORKSHOP

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) announces anticipated funding availability under the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Subject to the receipt of funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department will allocate an estimated $17.6 million of Federal Fiscal Year 2008 funding for Commercial Revitalization, Housing Rehabilitation and Neighborhood Revitalization projects. In addition, approximately $138,779 will be available for Planning and Design Specifications grants. In order to be eligible to apply in these categories, applicants cannot have an open grant in any of the three program categories. Closeouts for open contracts must be received in the CDBG program office by 5:00 p.m. (EST), August 14, 2008, in order to be eligible, and any open contracts must be administratively closed by the Department by the application deadline date.

   The Department also anticipates that funding will be available under the Florida Small Cities CDBG Program for Economic Development job creation/retention activities. Subject to the receipt of funding from HUD, the Department will allocate an estimated $7.5 million of Federal Fiscal Year 2008 Small Cities CDBG funds for job-creating economic development activities, with the application cycle beginning August 15, 2008, and ending at 5:00 p.m. (EDT), September 29, 2008. In the event that funds remain available after this initial deadline, applications in the Economic Development category will be reviewed and eligible applications will be awarded subgrants on a first-come, first served basis.

   An anticipated $1.3 million Emergency Set-Aside will be designated for state-declared emergencies. These funds will be available from April 1 of the year for which they are allocated through the third quarter (March 31) of the next State fiscal year. Any funds in the set-aside for which a notice of intent to submit an emergency application has not been received prior to March 31 will be reallocated in accordance with Section 290.044 (4), Florida Statutes.

   Eligible local governments must meet specific population requirements and cannot be participants in a CDBG Urban Entitlement Program. The population requirements are: cities with not more than 50,000 residents and counties with not more than 200,000 residents. The application process is conducted in accordance with Sections 290.0401 – 290.048, Florida Statutes and Rule Chapter 9B-43, Florida Administrative Code.

   The Federal Fiscal Year 2008 application cycle for all of the above-mentioned categories of funding will begin (“open”) August 15, 2008 and end (“close”) at 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on September 29, 2008 (“the deadline date”). Applications must be submitted on forms required by and in the format specified by the Department and must be received in the Florida Small Cities CDBG Program Office, Department of Community Affairs, The Sadowski Building, Room 260, 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100 by 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on the deadline date.

   To assist local governments in the application process, the Department will conduct an application workshop in August 2008 in Tallahassee. Location, dates and times will be announced in the near future. Once location is determined, workshop registration information, as well as application forms and instructions, may be obtained by calling the CDBG Program at (850)487-3644, accessed at our website: http:// www.floridacommunitydevelopment.org/cdbg/index.cfm or obtained by writing to:

        Florida Small Cities CDBG Program

        Department of Community Affairs

        2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard