Frequently Asked Question

Housing Repair: One of the core programs funded by CDBG is the City’s Housing Repair Program. This program provides eligible homeowners grants up to $7,000 for emergency minor home repairs. Leaky roofs, unsafe stairs, floor repair, access for individuals with disabilities, and heating system repairs are examples of work funded with Minor Housing Repair grants. This program helps Auburn's low-income homeowners preserve and stay in safe and affordable housing. To learn more or apply for services through this program, please visit our website.

ADA Sidewalk Improvements: Another type of project that is consistently funded is sidewalk ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) improvements. With the support of the City’s Public Works department, projects are chosen each year to support increased safety and accessibility for Auburn residents. Sidewalk projects have historically taken place across the City, though in recent plan years the CDBG program has prioritized low income residential areas to fund these improvements. 

Public Services: The CDBG program allows grantees to use up to 15% of their funds for “public services” in the community. Every two years, the City accepts applications from nonprofit agencies that provide services to low income Auburn residents, such as healthcare, legal assistance, homelessness prevention or intervention, job training, and more. In 2021, the City has allocated CDBG public service dollars to go towards homelessness prevention, legal assistance, and fair housing supports. You can read more about the specific services in our 2021 Annual Action Plan available on the main project page.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement Program provides annual grants from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to eligible cities to help support and develop viable urban communities.

Auburn receives CDBG funds annually and funds a variety of projects in the community that support our City’s CDBG goals. Auburn works very closely with other communities who also receive these funds and we are a part of the King County CDBG Consortium which allows us to work closely with King County and the cities of Federal Way, Kent, and Bellevue.

How much money does Auburn receive?

The CDBG program provides formula grants, meaning that the amount we receive is based off of a set formula that Congress approves each year during the budget process. This formula includes multiple factors such as population, poverty rate, and age of housing stock.

Our annual grant amount changes each year based on changes to the budget as well as our community demographics. In 2023, we received $560,951. It is anticipated that the City will receive $619,474. 

The City of Auburn is required by HUD to submit a plan every five years that maps out how it will prioritize CDBG dollars. This plan, called the Consolidated Plan, is designed to help assess affordable housing and community development needs. Our current plan covers 2020-2024 and includes data on our community needs as well as our planned activities to help address those needs. The planning process for the 2025-2029 plan has just begun. 

Additionally, the City submits an Annual Action Plan to HUD that details what resources we expect to receive in the coming year and how we will spend CDBG funds.

Projects and activities of the current Consolidated Plan and Action Plans follow three broad goals:

• Affordable Housing – Ensure access to healthy, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households throughout the region and advance fair housing to end discrimination and overcome historic patterns of segregation.
• Ending Homelessness – Make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time and eliminate racial disparities.
• Community and Economic Development – Establish and maintain healthy, integrated, and vibrant communities by improving the well-being and mobility of low- and moderate-income residents, and focusing on communities with historic disparities in health, income, and quality of life.

The City welcomes input from Auburn residents on how we allocate these funds. Typically, there are two public hearings held each year to receive input on the Annual Action Plan – once before we’ve drafted it, and once after it’s been published and community members have had the opportunity to review. See more about this process and the opportunities to share your perspectives with the City in the program lifecycle graphic on the right.

Every year, the City produces an annual report called the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) that details how we spent these dollars and what progress we made during the prior year. Our most recent CAPER can be found on the right hand side of this page in the documents section.

The process for community input on our CDBG program is guided by the City’s CDBG Citizen Participation Plan, a document that HUD requires each grantee to develop and follow. You can read our full plan, located in the related documents section to the right.