Department of Community Development

Grant Administration

The City of Jackson is a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) identified entitlement community. As such, the City has been the recipient of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds since 1974 and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds since 1991. The CDBG program is authorized under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, which has a primary objective of developing viable urban communities. These viable communities are achieved by providing the following, principally for persons of low- and moderate-income:

 

  • Decent housing;
  • A suitable living environment; and,
  • Expanded economic opportunities.

 

The HOME program was created by the National Affordable Housing Act of 1990, as amended. The intent of the HOME program is to provide decent affordable housing to lower-income households, expand the capacity of non-profit housing providers, strengthen the ability of state and local governments to provide housing, and leverage private-sector participation.

 

The City of Jackson has prioritized its annual CDBG and HOME funding to further a local overall economic stabilization initiative through a phased program beginning with the Jackson Neighborhood Economic Stabilization (JNES). The strategic plans revolve around

 

  • Reducing the supply of vacant, abandoned, dilapidated housing through demolition, thereby increasing demand;
  • Increasing code enforcement, such as rental inspections and blighting violations, implementing a rental registry, and exploring the feasibility of point of sale ordinance;
  • Increasing zoning enforcement to curb illegal uses in all zoning districts, especially in the one- and two-family residential districts;
  • Exploring viable waste disposal plans, including metro garbage and recycling options;
  • Supporting homeownership and single family reversions through strategic rehabilitation and limited new construction where practical;
  • Managing and right-sizing public infrastructure assets.

 

The initial phase of JNES will concentrate on removing the overabundance of vacant, abandoned, dilapidated housing while providing select rehabilitation and new construction opportunities to maintain and increase homeownership. Non-owner occupied residential properties will undergo a revitalized rental inspection process and enhanced blight ordinance enforcement to return vibrancy to City neighborhoods.

 

Please contact Michelle L. Pultz-Orthaus, Records Management Coordinator, at (517) 768-6436 or mpultz@cityofjackson.orgwith any questions about the City’s programs.