The Cheektowaga Office of Economic and Community Development administers Community Development Block Grant funds provided to the Town by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The primary goal of the Community Development Program is to develop and maintain viable communities with respect to housing, neighborhoods and economic opportunities. The flexibility built into the CDBG Program allows communities to achieve Program goals while addressing their local needs through a variety of ways. Each activity undertaken must meet one of the following three national objectives:

1)       benefit low-to-moderate income persons either on an individual level
          or on an area-wide basis;

2)       aid in the prevention or elimination of slums and blight; and,

3)       meet a need having a particular urgency.     

Since the program’s inception in 1975, the Town has utilized CDBG funds for many activities, including housing rehabilitation, demolition of dilapidated structures, drainage and sewer improvements in income-eligible neighborhoods including the Walden Avenue, Cedargrove Heights, Beach Road, U-Crest and Wilshire Road areas, road reconstruction, sidewalk replacement, installation of playground equipment in Town parks and playgrounds (Stiglmeier, Winston-Vegola and Cedargrove Heights parks/playgrounds), economic development business loans, summer day camp, housing counseling, including mortgage default and pre-purchase counseling, neighborhood police foot patrols, purchase of senior citizen vans, senior citizen outreach assistance and senior citizen housing.

In 2011, the Town will receive $971,310 in Community Development Block Grant funds.   Because this amount is approximately $178,800 less than anticipated in the Town’s proposed annual action plan submitted to HUD in February, 2011, the Town was required to amend it’s plan to re-allocate funds among different activities.  The changes made can be viewed at CDBG Program Amendment 2011-1 under Document Center.

The Town, in partnership with the Towns of Amherst and Tonawanda, also receives federal funds for housing activities through the HOME Investment Partnership Act grant program. HOME funds must be used for housing related activities such as housing rehabilitation, new construction and first-time homebuyer assistance.  The amount of HOME funds that will be received in 2011 has also been reduced by $45,781 to $340,625.  The plan to utilize these funds is also included in the Program amendment referenced above.