New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA)

DCA Awards $6.45 Million in Small Cities Community Development Block Grants

Posted on: 07/7/2023

Grants to Fund Community Improvements in Small Cities throughout New Jersey

TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) today announced the award of $6,452,409 in Small Cities Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to non-entitlement municipalities and counties in New Jersey. The 19 grants are going to 16 municipalities in nine counties. DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources receives, distributes, and administers these federal grant funds for the State of New Jersey.

“Small Cities CDBG grants are an effective way to help municipal and county governments address housing rehabilitation, capital improvements, and economic development efforts,” said Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, who serves as DCA Commissioner. “The projects funded by these grants will make a positive, appreciable difference in the smaller-sized communities that benefit from them.”

Awards in this year’s application cycle will provide funding for worthwhile projects that include improvements at parks, recreation facilities, and municipal buildings to make them more accessible to disabled persons in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); upgrades to infrastructure; and the rehabilitation of housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

Small Cities CDBG grants provide direct assistance to eligible municipalities and counties for housing rehabilitation, public facilities improvements, community revitalization, and economic development. Funding for the Small Cities CDBG Program is provided by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant Program. Only non-entitlement, less-populated communities and counties that do not receive direct funding from HUD are eligible for the Small Cities CDBG program.

Municipalities receiving Small Cities grants design their own projects and funding priorities. These locally developed projects are required to meet at least one of the three federal national objectives which include:

Activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons,
Assistance in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or
Urgent community development needs due to existing conditions that pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community where other financial resources are not available to meet such needs.

A description of the grant recipients and projects are listed below:

2023 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Awards

Grantee Name	County	Project Title	Project Description	Award Amount
Cape May City	Cape May	ADA Compliance - City Beachfront/Convention Hall Access	Improve accessible beachfront travel by purchasing beach mats to create ADA compliant walkway parallel to the water, plus creating an event space at Convention Hall for use by persons using wheel chairs, walkers and scooters.	$400,000
Carneys Point Township	Salem	ADA-Compliant Improvements to Dunn's Park	Provide ADA-compliant improvements to Dunn's Park.	$380,000
Dennis Township	Cape May	ADA Improvements for Dennis Township Recreation Center	Remove mobility barriers at the Dennis Township Recreation Center that hinder access by the disabled and handicapped in order to comply with the ADA.	$347,485
Downe Township	Cumberland	Downe Township Housing Rehabilitation	Rehabilitate approximately 12 low-income housing units.	$200,000
East Windsor Township	Mercer	East Windsor Township Housing Rehabilitation Program	Correct code violations in housing units occupied by low- and moderate-income residents.	$ 195,551
Egg Harbor City	Atlantic	ADA Improvements at Egg Harbor City Lake Park	Construct ADA improvements at Egg Harbor City Lake Park, including handicapped parking, beach access, and removal of architectural barriers in the restrooms.	$400,000
Fairfield Township	Essex	Fairfield Township Home Rehabilitation	Rehabilitate approximately 12 low-income housing units.	$200,000
Fairfield Township	Essex	Fairfield Township Senior Center Improvements	At the municipal senior center, create a food pantry storage room, improve existing restrooms, upgrade the existing kitchen, provide ADA access to the basement, and create a crafts area and computer lab in the basement.	$400,000
Gloucester City	Camden	Division Street Reconstruction	Replace the water and combined sewer mains and reconstruct the roadway curb to curb including ADA ramps on Division Street between 6th and 7th Streets.	$400,000
Lower Township	Cape May	Villas Storm Outfalls Phase 1	Alleviate flooding by replacing ineffective storm water outfalls at Shadeland Avenue, Broadway Avenue, Wildwood Avenue, Arbor Avenue, Spruce Avenue and Woodland Avenue.	$400,000
Middle Township	Cape May	Del Haven Water Lateral Connection Assistance Program	Assist income-qualified primary residence homeowners to connect their homes to the new Del Haven public water system by providing forgivable loans to reduce connections costs.	$ 395,551
Middle Township	Cape May	ADA Compliance Clarence Davies Recreation Complex	Install an improved surface area and additional inclusive play equipment at the Clarence Davies Recreation Complex in Goshen.	$400,000
Palmyra Borough	Burlington	Borough of Palmyra Housing Rehabilitation Program	Continue the borough-wide housing rehabilitation program.	$ 195,551
Sussex Borough	Sussex	Install Electricity and Provide Instrumentation Improvements	Installation of an electrical supply to the water tower for a generator and instrumentation improvements for the utility system.	$400,000
Upper Deerfield Township	Cumberland	Upper Deerfield Township Housing Rehabilitation Program	Rehabilitate approximately 12 low-income housing units.	$ 195,551
Upper Deerfield Township	Cumberland	Recreation ADA Compliance - Phase V	Complete ADA improvements by removing architectural barriers at the Seabrook Recreation Complex and install an emergency generator at the Township Senior Center to support its role as a hot weather cooling center.	$400,000
Washington Borough	Warren	Warren Housing Opportunities, Inc. - Building Improvement	Assist the Warren Housing Opportunity, Inc. in conjunction with the ARC of Warren County to make structural, drainage and energy efficiency improvements to a group home apartment building.	$400,000
Wildwood City	Cape May	Removal of Architectural Barriers to Accessibility	Remove architectural barriers to accessibility at East Spicer Avenue and the Boardwalk through the construction of an ADA-compliant access ramp.	$400,000
Wildwood Crest Borough	Cape May	ADA Compliance - Borough Hall - 6101 Pacific Avenue	Remove architectural barriers that hinder mobility for the disabled at the Borough Hall.	$ 342,720
			19 Approved Applications Total:	$6,452,409

More information about the Small Cities CDBG Program can be found at https://www.nj.gov/dca/dhcr/offices/cdbg.shtml.

The Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to strengthening neighborhoods through the delivery of affordable housing and supportive services and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies, and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for residents, especially those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged.

DCA offers a wide range of programs and services, including local government management and finance, affordable housing production, disaster recovery and mitigation, building safety, community planning and development, fire safety, historic preservation, and information privacy.

For more information about DCA, visit https://nj.gov/dca/ or follow the Department on social media: