The Community Development Department, through the Jackson Housing Authority, serves as administrator of the Community Development Program for the City of Jackson. The City of Jackson is an entitlement city that receives funding from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships Grant. HUD allocates these funds annually using a formula based on several measures of community need, including the extent of poverty/income levels, population, age of housing, and other factors. Priorities for the use of these funds are listed in the current five year Consolidated Plan 2015-2019 (July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2020). Projects to be undertaken during the program years, along with respective budgets are identified in the Annual Action Plans for each program year of the five year Consolidated Planning process. These programs are intended to benefit low- and moderate-income persons and areas.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
The Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) is a federal program that was established under the Housing and Community Development (HCD) Act of 1974. The primary federal objective of the CDBG program is to develop or maintain viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and through expanding economic opportunities, principally, for persons of low- and moderate-income. “Persons of low and moderate income” are defined as families, households, and individuals whose incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the area median income, adjusted for family or household size for the City of Jackson, based upon the most current HUD Income Limit guidelines. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html
Activities under the CDBG program must meet one of the following national objectives for the program: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or address community development needs having a particular urgency because existing conditions pose a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community.
Examples of eligible activities may include:
- Housing – Housing rehabilitation, accessibility modifications, and activities that support new housing construction of single family housing
- Public Improvements – Improvements of streets, sidewalks, parks, water and sewer lines, flood and drainage, parking lots
- Public Facilities – Acquisition, rehabilitation, construction of facilities
- Public Services – Youth programs, job training, fair housing activities, education programs, staff and operating costs associated with the community facilities
- Economic Development – increase job opportunities through job creation, and job training
The Community Development Department currently allocates CDBG funding to nonprofit agencies to provide public service, economic development, and housing activities for the low and moderate income persons/areas within the city limits of Jackson.
**Due to limited funding availability, the application for CDBG funding to agencies is currently closed**
**Homeowners interested in housing repairs for their home may contact (731) 422-1671 ext. 135 to be placed on a waiting list for assistance**
HOME Investment Partnerships Program
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is a federal program, which was established by the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. The primary objective of HOME is to expand the supply of decent, safe and affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families. HOME funds for homeownership or rental housing projects must be used to benefit persons who earn less than 80% of the area median income for the City of Jackson, based upon the most current HUD Income Limit guidelines. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html
Any HOME-assisted housing must meet the affordability requirements for not less than the applicable period specified in the following table, beginning after project completion. The per-unit of HOME funds and affordability period that they trigger are described below.
| Homeownership assistance HOME amount per-unit | Minimum period of affordability in years. |
|---|---|
| Under $15,000 | 5 |
| $15,000 to $40,000 | 10 |
| Over $40,000 | 15 |
Examples of eligible activities may include:
- Housing – Housing rehabilitation, acquisition, reconstruction, homebuyer assistance, and activities that support new housing construction of single family and multi-family housing units
The Community Development Department currently allocates HOME funding for the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) for substantial housing rehabilitation. The NRSA is a local targeted area designated for revitalization (primarily East Jackson area census tracts). HOME funds are also allocated to two HUD approved Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) to carry out acquisition, housing rehabilitation, and new housing construction, when feasible, for the low and moderate income persons/areas within the NRSA.
**Homeowners interested in housing repairs for their home may contact (731) 422-1671 ext. 135 to be placed on a waiting list for assistance**
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area – NRSA Low Income Areas
Fair Housing
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended (Fair Housing Act), prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of dwellings and in other housing-related activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.
The City of Jackson seeks to reduce impediments to fair housing choice for persons protected under the federal Fair Housing Act. The City, through the Jackson Housing Authority, plays an active role in affirmatively furthering fair housing, the provision of affordable and accessible housing, and promotion of home ownership.
The City is required by the Fair Housing Act to “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.” The City is responsible for the completion and update of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) for Jackson, TN. The AI identifies fair housing choice constraints and offers planning strategies that can be incorporated into other community planning and development processes and decisions. The strategies in the AI include a five-year schedule of activities to be carried out by the partnering agencies and community in this effort.
Community Development FAQs
What is the community development program?
The Community Development Program provides communities with housing and community development resources that can be used to address locally identified needs that are eligible Community Development Block Grant or HOME grant activities and qualify under one of the national objectives of (1)Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) Benefit, (2)Elimination of Slum and Blight, or (3)Urgent Need
How is the use of CDBG and HOME funds determined?
Every five years the Community Development Department works with the community, focus groups, the City, nonprofit agencies, as well as other groups and organizations to develop a five-year Consolidated Plan. The Plan documents the City of Jackson’s housing and community development needs, outlines strategies to address those needs, and identifies proposed program accomplishments.
Based on the five-year plan, each year an Annual Action Plan is developed that lists the specific projects to be undertaken during the program year. Both the Consolidated Plan and the Annual Action Plan must be available for review and comment to the public for a period of time, and approved by the Mayor and City Council prior to submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Who is eligible to apply for funds?
CDBG and HOME funds can only be awarded to eligible non-profits, agencies, or government entities but not to private individuals. Persons wanting to rehabilitate their home can apply for assistance through the Housing Repair Program.
How do I know if I am eligible based upon low/moderate income guidelines?
The income standards we use to determine eligibility are updated annually by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Income guidelines can be found at the following link:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/il.html Access the most current year and select Jackson TN under the HMFA.
How do I know if I’m eligible for housing repair assistance?
Beyond income eligibility requirements, one must also be eligible based upon need for assistance, length of time as owner of property, current property taxes etc. You may contact the CD office for further details.
What types of repairs can be done on my home?
Repair assistance includes issues that might be a safety or health hazard, or a city code violation. Some eligible repairs include roofing, plumbing, electrical work, windows, etc.
Cosmetic improvements, such as carpet/flooring, fencing, painting, are NOT eligible under the rehabilitation program.
