THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM

Transcription

1 THE COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM (Extracted, with permissin, frm The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007) The basic framewrk f Mntana s CDBG Prgram was established in 1982 by a 14- member Task Frce cmpsed f lcal gvernment fficials that was appinted by the Mntana Department f Cmmerce (MDOC) t design the State s CDBG prgram. The Task Frce recmmended including a requirement that cmmunities cnduct a "needs assessment" prcess befre applying fr CDBG funding. The intent f Task Frce members was t encurage Mntana cmmunities t mve away frm a crisis management apprach t cmmunity prblem-slving and instead adpt a view f cmmunity develpment as a lng-term prcess f planned, incremental actins t imprve the cmmunity ver time. In additin, the Task Frce members felt strngly that brad public invlvement was critical fr the prcess f setting cmmunity develpment bjectives and t build public supprt t make a prpsed prject successful. Subsequently, in 1984, Cngress amended the Federal Husing and Cmmunity Develpment Act t require that each CDBG recipient "identify its cmmunity develpment and husing needs, including the needs f lw and mderate-incme persns, and the activities t be undertaken t meet such needs." Accrding t the legislative histry fr the amendment, Cngress established this requirement t prmte better-crdinated strategies fr addressing lcal needs, particularly as they affect lw and mderate incme persns. Apparently, Mntana's CDBG Task Frce and Cngress independently develped similar requirements t address similar cncerns. The Mntana CDBG Prgram requires that each lcal gvernment applicant fr a CDBG Public Facilities r Husing prject must cnduct a planning prcess that cnsiders and describes: 1. The applicant's cmmunity develpment needs, including the needs f lw and mderate incme persns; and 2. The activities it plans t meet the identified needs. It is the intent f Mntana s CDBG Prgram that gvernments take full advantage f their lcal planning prgrams and nt unnecessarily duplicate their lcal planning effrts slely fr the purpse f meeting the CDBG "needs assessment" requirement. In many cases, a lcal gvernment may have already identified "cmmunity develpment and husing needs" by preparing a cmmunity "grwth plicy." The term grwth plicy has replaced the terms "cmprehensive plan" and "master plan" in state law. Where a cmmunity has an existing, adpted grwth plicy, MDOC strngly encurages lcal fficials t use it t meet the requirement that CDBG applicants "identify cmmunity develpment and husing needs" and pssible activities t meet thse needs. Given the limited resurces available t mst cmmunities, MDOC discurages standalne planning activities r cmmunity surveys that are intended fr CDBG applicatin purpses nly, which are nt being crdinated with the lcal gvernment s n-ging planning prgram. The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007: Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant (CDBG) Prgram

2 There is n ne recmmended prcedure that applicants shuld use in identifying cmmunity develpment needs and pssible slutins fr thse needs. Sme peple think that a needs assessment means a cmmunity survey. A survey is ne way t apprach a cmmunity needs assessment, but there are ther equally effective techniques. In the past, sme lcal gvernments have assigned the task f identifying needs t an existing lcal planning bard. Others have frmed special shrt-term task frces r citizen cmmittees r utilized cmmunity-wide twn meetings, neighbrhd meetings, r interviews with cmmunity leaders. Whatever apprach is fllwed, the applicant must, at a minimum, meet the CDBG citizen participatin requirements described belw. Sme cmmunities have already cnducted very similar planning r needs assessment prcesses that may be used t meet the federal CDBG requirement fr identifying cmmunity develpment and husing needs and pssible slutins fr them: Several cunties and multi-cunty areas have prepared a "Cmprehensive Ecnmic Develpment Strategy" (CEDS) with funding frm the U.S. Ecnmic Develpment Administratin (EDA). The CEDS is a prerequisite fr receiving financial assistance frm several EDA prgrams. A number f cmmunities have prepared Resurce Team Assessments in cnjunctin with the Mntana Department f Cmmerce r Mntana Ecnmic Develpers Assciatin. Sme Mntana cmmunities have develped Cmmunity Actin Plans with grants frm the U.S. Frest Service. Other Mntana cmmunities have prepared Needs Assessments, Strategic Plans r Cmmunity Visin Plans, many with assistance frm the cmmunity develpment staff frm Mntana State University s Cperative Extensin Service. All f these alternatives can ptentially be used t fulfill the needs assessment requirement. The CDBG requirement t evaluate cmmunity needs and identify actins r activities t meet them can als prvide an pprtunity t review existing special purpse plans such as fr capital imprvements, ecnmic develpment, husing, r urban renewal areas t determine if they still adequately reflect current cnditins, needs, and cmmunity pririties. The intent f the needs assessment requirement is t prvide a cmmunity with a list f ptential prjects r actins that culd be pursued ver a perid f years in rder t imprve the cmmunity. The needs assessment prcess des nt have t be repeated if a previusly prepared needs assessment r planning prcess still accurately reflects existing cnditins and pririties. The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007: Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant (CDBG) Prgram

3 A Special Nte fr Cunties Regarding Cmmunity Needs Assessments The cunty gverning bdy is the apprpriate, eligible applicant fr CDBG prjects intended t: reslve prblems within the unincrprated jurisdictin f a cunty; reslve prblems that are truly cuntywide, regardless f jurisdictin; assist a nn-prfit entity which serves cunty residents; r reslve prblems within the bundaries f cunty water and sewer districts. When a cunty gvernment is the applicant, the CDBG needs assessment requirement applies t the entire cunty, nt just the needs f a specific sub-recipient r unincrprated cmmunity being spnsred by the cunty. Any CDBG applicatin submitted by a cunty n behalf f a sub-recipient r unincrprated cmmunity, shuld describe the cunty's verall, cuntywide cmmunity develpment needs (including the unincrprated gegraphic area f the cunty), in additin t the particular needs f the entity which the cunty is applying n behalf f. The descriptin shuld cver, at a minimum, all f the basic CDBG needs categries (ecnmic develpment, husing, and public facilities). Fr example, this requirement applies t cunties applying n behalf f cunty water and sewer districts. Under Mntana law, cunty water and sewer districts fall within the unincrprated jurisdictin f a cunty and the cunty gvernment is cnsidered the apprpriate applicant under the Mntana CDBG prgram. Since the cunty gvernment is cnsidered the applicant, the CDBG needs assessment requirement applies t the entire cunty, nt just t the specific water and sewer district being spnsred by the cunty. Whether r nt yur cmmunity ultimately decides t apply fr CDBG funds, the prcess f peridically invlving lcal citizens in identifying cmmunity pririties and needs and pssible activities t meet them is, in itself, valuable. It can prvide lcal elected fficials and ther cmmunity leaders with imprtant feedback frm citizens n their majr cncerns regarding the cmmunity and prvide a rad map fr future cmmunity prjects. It can als be a useful way t review an existing cmmunity plan r grwth plicy t see if the previusly identified gals, bjectives, r ther issues need t be updated. A legitimate criticism f the cmmunity needs assessment cncept, particularly in the cntext f CDBG prgram requirements, is that it tends t fcus primarily n the negative aspects f the cmmunity s situatin: What s wrng with ur cmmunity and what can we d abut it? Accrding t the Heartland Center fr Leadership Develpment, t ften, cmmunities are encuraged t fcus first n their deficiencies, such as needs, issues, r prblems, rather than n their assets, thse tangible and intangible resurces that can be built upn t strengthen the cmmunity ver time. Increasingly cmmunity develpment prfessinals are encuraging cmmunities t als cnsider and inventry the psitive aspects f their cmmunity. Planning cmmunity initiatives frm the perspective f slving prblems r meeting needs casts a negative tne n what shuld be an exciting capacity The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007: Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant (CDBG) Prgram

4 building venture. The alternative is t identify the cmmunity s assets and develp plans that build n them. All cmmunities d have a substantial number f assets: the skills and entrepreneurial ideas f lcal residents, neighbrhd businesses, churches, and ther cmmunity institutins, sprts and scial clubs. Even things yu d nt cntrl directly (hspitals, vacant land, schls, libraries) can becme yur assets if yu plan and partner as needed t take advantage f them. Mrever, the act f jintly inventrying assets is itself a pwerful cmmunity rganizing device that, by evidencing pprtunities t change things, mtivates cllabratin and cmmitment t actin. Take nte f the fllwing frm Cmmunity Building: Cming f Age : The Urban Institute: In essence, cmmunities shuld think abut what makes their glass half full instead f half empty. While the CDBG requirements speak in terms f needs, this can als be an excellent pprtunity t ask what s gd abut ur cmmunity and hw can we make it better? Address the negatives, yes; but als identify the psitive aspects f yur cmmunity and develp a strategy fr building upn them t make the cmmunity an even better place t live. A prcess that several cmmunities have used fr their needs assessments is t wrk thrugh a series f questins in a public meeting: 1. Starting with the psitive things abut yur cmmunity, ask, "What are the strengths and the psitive things abut living in?" As an alternative, yu culd ask "What d yu like abut living in?" This can be a gd way t start the discussin and get peple t pen up and share their thughts abut the psitive aspects f living in their cmmunity. 2. Secnd, yu culd pse the mre negative questin: "What are the prblems r the negative things abut living in?" Or ask the questin, "What dn't yu like abut living in?" 3. Third, ask abut prjects they wuld like t see r things they wuld like t see changed. Fr example, ask, "What prjects wuld yu like t see t imprve?" r "What things wuld yu like t see changed in?" Having the negative questin as number tw makes it easy t transitin t "what prjects wuld yu like t see" r "what things wuld yu like t see changed" as the next questin, since the prjects are s ften designed t deal with the negative cncerns. Yu can als ask, "What wuld make a better place t live?" These may relate t either shrt-term prjects r lng-term changes. The essence f the cmmunity needs assessment prcess is that peple get tgether and make an hnest, bjective assessment f what the cmmunity has t ffer and what the cmmunity s needs are. Once it has defined its strengths and weaknesses, a cmmunity can make a lng-term plan t make the cmmunity a better place t live. The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007: Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant (CDBG) Prgram

5 The Cmmunity Needs Assessment Prcess, Mntana Department f Cmmerce, July 5, 2007: Cmmunity Develpment Blck Grant (CDBG) Prgram