Community Development Block Grant & HOME Investment Partnerships Programs

Community Development Block Grant

The City of Irvine receives annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) entitlement grant funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

CDBG is the principal federal program providing local governments with grants to improve the physical, economic, and social conditions in their communities. While spending priorities are determined at the local level, the program is primarily intended to provide affordable housing, establish and maintain a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities for low and moderate-income residents. HOME funds are intended to facilitate long-term public-private partnerships in an effort to expand the availability of affordable housing. HOME funds may be used exclusively to create affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents. ESG funds may be used for street outreach, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, rapid re-housing and Homeless Management Information System.

These programs allow the City of Irvine to issue grants and loans to local organizations for a wide variety of community development activities that benefit eligible for extremely low, very low, low and moderate-income Irvine residents.

The United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the President signed it into law on March 27, 2020 authorizing $2.2 trillion in a variety of stimulus measures to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Included in that legislation are $2 billion for the Emergency Solutions Grant (referred to as “ESG-CV”) and $2 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (referred to as “CDBG-CV”) programs, of which, the City of Irvine received $558,059 in ESG-CV funds and $1,255,079 in CDBG-CV funds. The below links outline the proposed expenditure of City ESG-CV and CDBG-CV funds as approved by the City Council on April 28, 2020.

In June 2020, the City was notified by the HUD that a second round of ESG-CV funding (ESG-CV2) was allocated to the City in the amount of $2,927,391.  A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for ESG-CV2 funding was published on July 20 on the City’s website and distributed directly to homeless service providers, with applications due August 12. On October 21, 2020, the Community Services Commission made recommendations to the City Council for their consideration on November 10, 2020. All of the ESG-CV2 funding activities have been incorporated into the draft Amendment No. 3 to the 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan and 2019-2020 Action Plan. The below links include the public notice for the November 10 City Council meeting and the draft Amendment No. 3.

Consolidated Plan

To receive its annual CDBG, HOME and ESG entitlement grants from HUD, the City must develop a Consolidated Plan every five years. The Consolidated Plan is a comprehensive assessment of the City’s housing and community development needs for the short and long term, including housing, homelessness, economic development, and public services (e.g. health and human service programs). The Consolidated Plan also includes strategies for addressing the identified needs, which are intended to guide the City’s use of CDBG, HOME and ESG funds over a five-year period. The current Consolidated Plan was approved by the City Council on May 26, 2020 and covers Program years 2020 through 2024.

Action Plan

HUD requires the City to develop an annual funding strategy called an Action Plan, which details the programs and projects to be funded each year. The Action Plan also outlines the proposed outcomes for the funded activities. Each Action Plan covers a single program year beginning July 1 and ending June 30. The 2020-2021 is included within the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan approved by the Irvine City Council on May 26, 2020 (above).  

Citizen Participation Plan

This plan sets forth the policies and procedures to encourage citizen participation, especially low- and moderate-income citizens, in the planning, implementation and assessment of HUD-funded programs and projects.

Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI)

This plan identifies impediments to fair housing, conditions in which individuals of similar income levels in the same housing market may have housing choice influenced by race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, source of income, sexual orientation or similar factors. The AI reviews public and private policies, practices and procedures affecting housing choice and recommends actions to address any identified potential impediments.

CDBG, HOME and ESG Subrecipients

For the 2020-21 Program Year, the City has awarded CDBG Public Services funds to the following nonprofit organizations or City Departments. For more information about these organizations or their CDBG-funded programs, please refer to the annual Action Plan.

CDBG and HOME Capital Project funds were awarded to the following organizations:​

  • Families Forward (Affordable Housing Acquisition)
  • Human Options (Shelter Rehabilitation)
  • Radiant Health Care (Clinic Rehabilitation)
  • City of Irvine: ADA improvement - Civic Center, Deerfield Community Center, Irvine Station, Oak Creek Community Center, Rancho Community Center
  • City of Irvine (Residential Rehabilitation Program)

ESG funds were awarded to the following organizations:

  • Families Forward (Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Programs)
  • Project Self-Sufficiency (Homelessness Prevention Program)
  • South County Outreach (Rapid Re-Housing Program)
  • StandUp for Kids Orange County (Rapid Re-Housing Program)
  • 2-1-1 Orange County (Homeless Management Information System)

Cartwright Family Apartments

The following link below is the required environmental assessment for the use and release of HOME funding ($677,344) for the development of the proposed 60-unit Cartwright Family Apartments. The public review period for this environmental assessment begins on November 20, 2020 and ends on December 5, 2020. Click Here 

Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER)

At the conclusion of each Program Year, the City is required by HUD to report on its progress toward meeting the goals and objectives of the annual Action Plan and five-year Consolidated Plan. The 2018-19 CAPER covers the Program Year that began July 1, 2018 and ended June 30, 2019. Click here for the 2018-2019 CAPER.

How to Apply for CDBG, HOME and ESG Funds

CDBG, HOME and ESG funds are available as grants or loans to incorporated nonprofit, for-profit, or public organizations serving Irvine residents. CDBG, HOME and ESG funds are not available to individuals. Applicants must have the financial management and programmatic expertise to successfully develop, design, implement, and monitor the proposed program or project. This expertise can be demonstrated through previous experience in successfully developing similar programs or projects, either by the organization or key staff within the organization. Applicants must also be in good standing with and able to meet all federal, State of California, and City of Irvine requirements to in these programs.  Applications are solicited annually from local organizations to provide services for youth, seniors, special needs, homeless, or other qualified low and moderate-income Irvine residents. Applications are also solicited annually for affordable housing or other eligible capital project proposals.

The 2021-22 Program Year Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) was published October 8, 2020 and October 22, 2020.

If you are interested in being notified of funding availability during the next application cycle, sign-up now to be on the notification list. Please email your agency’s contact information to: Irvine CDBG

Additional Information

The following web sites offer a wealth of information about the CDBG and HOME programs, their rules and regulations, and the ways in which organizations can take advantage of their resources:

Contact Information

For more about the City of Irvine CDBG, HOME or ESG programs, email Irvine CDBG or call 949-724-7444.