Infrastructure

The Infrastructure category improves the quality of life in a residential area or in a local government's jurisdiction to correct problems that pose a severe health or environment risk where at least 70% of the residents are low and moderate-income.

Program Requirements: Eligible activities include the installation of public water or sewer lines, improvements to water or sewer treatment plants that have specific problems such as being under moratoriums or special orders of consent.

Maximum Amounts: There are two pools of infrastructure funds available in 2007 with $2.10 million per pool. One pool of funds is reserved for 21st Century Communities, a designation given to selected economically distressed counties and their municipalities. The counties selected for funding preference in 2007 are Anson, Beaufort, Caldwell, Graham, Edgecombe and Harnett Counties. The maximum grant in 2007 is $750,000.

The 2009 grant cycle has closed.  Information on the 2010 grant cycle will be posted in March 2010.

Hook-Up Program

The Infrastructure Hook-Up Program enables eligible local governments with existing public water and/or sewer line(s) to connect or "hook-up" low and moderate-income (LMI) households to non-CDBG funded line(s).

Program Requirements: CDBG funds may only be used to connect LMI owner-occupied dwellings and LMI tenant-occupied dwellings provided the landlord is also LMI.

CDBG funds may be used to pay for the following eligible activities in the Infrastructure Hook-Up Program for:

• Tap-on or assessment fee to connect to the line.

• Service connection for the private property.

• Use of special equipment such as grinder pumps or vacuum pits to transport residential wastewater to the existing sewer lines.

• Cost to remove septic tanks or cap wells, as required by the health department.

• Repairs to a LMI household's leaking water pipes provided that the leaking pipes are a result of connecting to the public water line.

Maximum Amounts: The maximum grant amount is $75,000.

Infrastructure Hook-ups will open its window July 6, 2009 and will accept applications until funds are depleted.

A local government interested in applying for the Infrastructure Hook-Up Program must find out if funds are available and, if so, request to be put on the prospective applicant list.

If funds are available, the requested amount will be reserved for the applicant. An applicant will have 90 days from the date of the request to submit the application; otherwise, the reservation will be rescinded and will become available to another applicant.

Program Documents:   Program documents for Infrastructure grants are available below and in the CDBG Guidelines & Applications section of the Forms and Publications page. 

•  2009 Infrastructure Hook-up Guidelines

•  2009 Infrastructure Guidelines Part A

•  2009 Preliminary Information Form

•  2009 Income and Need Survey

For additional information, contact:

     Vanessa Blanchard
     Community Development Financial Consultant
     919.733.2853 x234
     vmoore@nccommerce.com

For additional sources of funding and information, see EFC's NC Clean Water Funders brochure.