Housed within the Department of Planning and Development, Community Development places its focus on developing and sustaining viable communities within Cook County, Illinois.

About Our Programs

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

The purpose of the federal Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) is to undertake eligible activities that will carry out the primary objectives of Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended. These objectives are designed to provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and to expand economic opportunities primarily for persons of low and moderate income. Low and moderate income is defined as persons making 80% or less of the area median income.

Emergency Solutions Grants Program (ESG)

The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) regulations (effective January 5, 2012) revise the regulations for the Emergency Shelter Grant and rename it the Emergency Solutions Grant. These revisions, coupled with the name change, reflect the HEARTH regulations’ greater focus on creating permanent residential solutions for people who are at risk of homelessness and for people who have experienced homelessness. Cook County receives formula ESG funds from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Through a competitive application process, funds may be awarded to successful non-profit applicants to carry out the purposes of the Emergency Solutions Grant Program. Designed to create greater coordination with the Continuum of Care, the ESG Program provides funds for outreach to unsheltered persons, emergency shelters, homeless prevention for those at risk of becoming homeless, rapid re-housing for those going from being homeless to having a permanent housing solution, and for Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)—the web based, client data base that HUD-funded programs are required to use.

Previous Postings

Posted January 4,  2013

Final Citizen Participation Plan - Approved November, 2012

2012 Substantial Amendment CDBG and ESG Final   – Approved November, 2012

2011 Substantial Amendment ESG FINAL - Approved November 2012

Final CAPER - Approved November  2012 – This report identifies more about both our community development and affordable housing programs.
 

Workshop and Application Information

Posted, February. 2013

Cook County’s 2013 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) applications and the related materials are now available here.

CDBG applications are due Friday, March 8, 2013.

ESG applications are due Friday, March 1, 2013.

Please note that a resolution in support of your application will be required this year as in past years. However, the two municipal public hearings are no longer required for CDBG applications.

Application Workshops

Application workshops for both programs will be held on Thursday, January 31, 2013, as noted below:

• The CDBG Capital Improvement / Economic Development application workshop is scheduled from 9:00am-12:00pm.
• A combined CDBG Public Service and ESG application workshop is scheduled from 1:00pm-4:00pm.

Both application workshops will be held in the Lower Level Conference Room of the Cook County Administration Building, 69 W. Washington, Chicago, IL 60602.

Please RSVP for the workshops by contacting Sonia Brown at (312) 603-1052 or at sonia.brown@cookcountyil.gov. If you RSVP via email, please be sure to indicate which workshop you plan to attend and who will be attending from your organization.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please do not hesitate to contact dominic.tocci@cookcountyil.gov or (312) 603-1048.

Archive

For additional information, please go to the Planning and Development Archive.