What are Community Development Block Grants and how can they be utilized for IT development?
The Community Development Block Grant program is administered Federally by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Nonmetropolitan Nebraska, through the Department of Economic Development, receives about $15 million each year from HUD to provide low and moderate income Nebraskans appropriate, affordable and accessible housing and infrastructure; and quality jobs through financing new and expanding businesses. The purposes are accomplished through the CDBG program’s five categories: Community Development, Housing, Planning, Business Development and Economic Development. (See: http://crd.neded.org/cdbg.html#community. ) The ‘Business Development’ portion of the CDBG program is summarized at: http://assist.neded.org/2001edelig.html . In the past a number of communities have received grants to development local technology centers for improving access to the internet.