Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)

CDBG Graphic 2

The City of Lowell's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program provides Federal funding to activities or projects that benefit low to moderate-income households at or below 80% of the area median income. For general CDBG inquiries please email us at communitydevelopment@lowellma.gov. 


Application Process

In the early Fall, the City of Lowell will issue a notice that the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the following fiscal/ program year is available. After this period, a proposal review committee will review the applications. A public hearing will be held in the winter for applicants to provide a brief overview of their applications and/or answer questions regarding their proposals. After this meeting, the city will meet and make recommendations to the City Manager. The City Manager has the final approval to which proposals are brought to city council for their acceptance. Once the city council approves the allocations, the city will have a 30-day public comment period that must end no later than May 30 in order to give the US Department of Housing and Urban Development 30 days to accept our plan, which will start July 1st.

FY2026-27 Invitation to Bid (Now Closed)

Program Goals

The goals of the program are to:

  • Provide decent, safe and sanitary housing.
  • Provide a suitable living environment.
  • Expand economic opportunities.

Funding Criteria

Activities that receive CDBG funding must meet two criteria:

  • Be eligible within the program regulations published in the Code of Federal Regulations as 24 CFR Part 570.
  • Meet one of three National Objectives of the program established by Congress, which require that activities must:
    • Provide a benefit to low and moderate income persons.
    • Prevent or eliminate slum and blight.
    • Meet an urgent community need that threatens the health or welfare of residents


Program Restrictions

City of Lowell City Non-Profit Subcommittee Meeting

Application Process

In the early Fall, the City of Lowell will issue a notice that the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the following fiscal/ program year is available. After this period, a proposal review committee will review the applications. A public hearing will be held in the winter for applicants to provide a brief overview of their applications and/or answer questions regarding their proposals. After this meeting, the city will meet and make recommendations to the City Manager. The City Manager has the final approval to which proposals are brought to city council for their acceptance. Once the city council approves the allocations, the city will have a 30-day public comment period that must end no later than May 30 in order to give the US Department of Housing and Urban Development 30 days to accept our plan, which will start July 1st.

FY2026-27 Invitation to Bid - Now Closed

Annual Entitlement Grant

The City of Lowell receives on average $2,000,000 in annual CDBG Entitlement Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Funds can be allocated up to the following caps: 

  • 20% of the funds are allocated to administrative costs.
  • 15% to public services, and 
  • 65% to other priorities. 

FY25-26 CDBG and Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas (NRSA)

If you are applying for only CDBG or ESG then you only need to attend that particular session. If you are applying for both grants, your organization will need to attend each session. Significant changes were made to both RFPs and are not uniform across both, so attending only one session will not be helpful in completing the other program’s application.  

CDBG applications will only be accepted for social/public service programs in this funding round.  We will not be accepting applications for public facility/non-public service programs.

The project review committee will use this scoring sheet to evaluate projects. 




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