The Community Development Department is committed to making the City of Columbia and its neighborhoods a better place to live, work and play. It is through the efforts of this Department that the City strives to provide safe, decent, affordable housing, a suitable living environment and economic opportunities specifically for low to moderate income individuals and communities.

Community Department administers Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME), Section 108 Guarantee Loan and Economic Development Initiative (EDI), and the Economic Development Administration (EDA). These funds come from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and primarily benefit the low and moderate income (LMI) population (neighborhoods) within the City of Columbia. In addition, the City received Stimulus dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (CDBG-R) and Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) to provide a surge to the economy during this economic downturn. These funds help agencies provide assistance to the homeless and those at risk; entities that will assist with stabilizing neighborhoods seeing the effects of foreclosure and abandoned homes; and improve infrastructures, as well as job creation.

Funding provided by the federal government is leveraged with lending institutions dollars to make available low-interest housing loans through Housing Loan & Residential Services. The Community Development Department focuses on three areas of community quality: Neighborhood Services; Business Services and Housing Loan & Residential Services. For additional information, please contact the Department at 545-3373 or email comdev@columbiasc.net

 Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG)

Requests for Certification of Local Government Approval from the City of Columbia for ESG applications are due on April 1, 2010.

Please deliver to:

City of Columbia, 1136 Washington Street, 3rd Floor , P.O. Box 147 , Columbia SC 29217   

Each year the City of Columbia must provide the Certification of Local Government Approval to confirm that the ESG proposals are consistent with City Ordinances and the City's Consolidated Plan.  In order to do so, we need a summary and budget for your proposal by April 1st 2010.  Please make sure to include the following items. 

1. The name of your organization

2.The total amount of your proposal

3. Description of your project.

4. A budget breakdown (Essential Services, Prevention Services, Operations, Admit, etc.) with associated costs and brief descriptions.

For questions, please contact Eric Cassell @ 545-3373 or evcassell@columbiasc.net

Click here for the SC Community Needs Survey Online Survey

HOPWA FUNDING IS NOW AVAILABLE
Please click here to download the application.

Click here to download the CDBG-R Public Notice for the                                   Community Development Block Grant Recovery Program

CDBG-R Activity Data

CDBG-R Submission Checklist

July 17, 2009 - Operation:Taking Back Our City
Operation: Taking Back Our City will encompass several of the City’s departments and each of them will work in unison together to improve the quality of life in the City of Columbia .