On August 1, 2017, the City Council approved the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Year (PY) 2017 Annual Action Plan, effective October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. This document details the projects and funding allocations that will be awarded during the program year. As detailed within the PY 2017 Annual Action Plan, $78,440 of the City’s annual allocation will be utilized for minor housing rehabilitation through a subrecipient grant agreement with Fort Bend Community Revitalization Projects (CORPS).

The Fort Bend CORPS is a nonprofit organization whose primary focus is to provide home repair assistance to restore safe and decent housing for low-income, elderly and disabled homeowners in Fort Bend County who are physically and financially unable to make needed repairs to their homes. The organization provides a variety of revitalization and rehabilitation programs including the Roofs Over Fort Bend and Interior/Exterior Repair programs funded primarily by CDBG grants from local governments and the Hearts and Hammers, Neighborhood Cleanup, and Energy Efficiency programs funded solely through private donations and grants.

With CDBG funding from the City of Sugar Land, the Fort Bend CORPS will administer a home repair program to assist with the improvements of approximately ten permanent, residential single family homes owned and occupied by low and moderate income persons within the City of Sugar Land. The home repairs will correct conditions related to safe, sanitary and decent housing, and the proposed agreement includes a provision for general repairs of up to $7,500 per home and a portion of a one-time emergency disaster major repair or reconstruction of up to $20,000 with a limit of one home per year.

Since the inception of the City of Sugar Land’s CDBG program in 2001, the City has provided over $1 million in funding to the Fort Bend CORPS for housing rehabilitation projects that directly benefit Sugar Land residents. In coordination with this funding, the organization has successfully leveraged private donations from individuals and businesses throughout the community in addition to the organization and mobilization of community volunteers. These private funds and volunteers supplement the City’s efforts and can expand beyond areas eligible for CDBG funds.

The Environmental and Neighborhood Services Department recommends that the City Council authorize execution of a subrecipient grant agreement with the Fort Bend CORPS in the amount of $78,440 for minor housing rehabilitation of single family owner-occupied homes within the City of Sugar Land during the 2017 CDBG program year. This funding comes from the Community Development Block Grant and was identified both in the PY 2017 CDBG Annual Action Plan and the FY 2018 budget.