Small Cities Development Program
The Small Cities Development Program (SCDP) is a competitive grant program that cities and townships (with a population under 50,000) or counties (with a population under 200,000) can apply for through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The Small Cities Development Program is funded through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and activities funded through this program must meet the federal objectives of: Benefiting low to moderate income persons (usually through housing rehabilitation); Eliminating slum & blight conditions (usually through commercial property rehabilitation); Solving an urgent need (such as health or environmental hazards, usually supplementing other funding to update wastewater facilities). Indian tribal governments and larger cities, which can receive direct funding from HUD, are ineligible for this program.
Once a project is funded, local, licensed and insured contractors are selected to bid and perform the work, whether on a public facility, a home, rental property or commercial building. Rehabilitation activities (excluding public facilities) often include: repair/replacement of roofing, siding, windows and doors; heating systems, plumbing, electrical and roofing.
There are two (2) Small Cities Development Program administrators available for hire to communities interested in applying for funding:
Lakes & Pines Community Action Council, Inc.
Central Minnesota Housing Partnership
Residents in the following communities are encouraged to apply to make improvements to their property: