Seal of Dane County County of Dane
Translate

Dane County Community Development Block Grant

From the Housing Access and Affordability Division of Human Services

The public is invited to a hearing on the proposed funding recommendations for the 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds. The hearing will allow the public to review and comment on the 2026 CDBG/HOME preliminary funding recommendations for the 2026 Annual Action Plan, and how these funds will be allocated in Dane County (outside the City of Madison).

The public hearing will be held during the Dane County CDBG Commission meeting on:

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
City County Building
210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 351
Madison, WI 53703

This public hearing is being held as a hybrid meeting.  The public can attend in-person, or access the meeting with the Zoom application or by telephone.  Information on how to join this meeting is found at the top of the meeting agenda, which can be accessed at the Dane County legislative page at https://dane.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx. Written comments will be accepted via email to cdbg@danecounty.gov until 12:00pm on November 18, 2025.

To view the list of projects that are being recommended for the 2026 CDBG and HOME funding, click here.

CDBG & HOME Programs

City County Building

Welcome!

Dane County receives annual funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under two programs:

  • Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
  • Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME)

These programs allow Dane County to provide financial assistance to sub-recipients (businesses, organizations, agencies, and municipalities) for housing and community development activities that benefit primarily low- and moderate-income residents of the County. Funds are distributed as grants to sub-recipients through an annual competitive application process. The County’s CDBG-Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs) provide gap financing to businesses that create jobs for low- and moderate-income persons.

Announcements

CDBG Commission Public Hearing on 2026 Funding Recommendations

The public is invited to a hearing on the proposed funding recommendations for the 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) funds. The hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the 2026 CDBG/HOME preliminary funding recommendations for the 2026 Annual Action Plan. The public hearing will be held during the next CDBG Commission meeting on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 5:00pm, located in the City-County Building, 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 351. 

Dane County Urban County Consortium Meeting November 6th

The CDBG/HOME team is hosting an informational meeting for the Dane County Urban County Consortium members on Thursday, November 6th from 10:30am to 12:00pm.  Agenda topics to include: Cooperation Agreements, CDBG/HOME funding, program information and UCC member engagement.  This is a virtual meeting – click below to register.

Grant Programs

CDBG:

Dane County CDBG and HOMECDBG is authorized by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. CDBG is one of HUD's programs which provides eligible metropolitan cities and urban counties (called "entitlement communities") with annual direct grants that they can use to provide decent housing, suitable living environments, and expanded economic opportunities, principally for low and moderate income persons. Dane County became an entitlement community in 1999 and annually receives approximately $1 million in CDBG funds.

HOME:

Dane County CDBG and HOMEHOME is authorized under Title II of the Crantson-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. HOME provides grant and loan funding to create affordable housing for low-income individuals. HOME activities undertaken must accomplish at least one of two goals for low-income individuals; 1) provide decent housing and/or 2) provide suitable living environments. Dane County is required to set aside a minimum of 15% of its HOME funds for CHDOs. A Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) is a certified, non-profit, community based service consortium that has, or intends to retain staff for the purpose of developing affordable housing in the community it serves. Dane County has been allocated HOME funding since 2002 and annual receives approximately $400,000 in HOME funds.

About the Programs

The CDBG and HOME programs are housed in the Housing Access and Affordability Office of the Dane County Department of Human Services. The Office works through community-based groups on projects to strengthen communities and to expand opportunities for low- and moderate-income households throughout Dane County (outside of Madison). The Office invests in community-based groups that forward the priorities to:

  • Create decent, affordable housing
  • Create suitable living environments
  • Expand economic opportunities

The 13-member Dane County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Commission provides oversight for the CDBG and HOME programs. The Commission is charged with addressing policy issues related to housing and community development and with recommending eligible projects, activities, and contracts to the County Board of Supervisors and County Executive.

To receive its annual entitlement grants, Dane County must develop and submit to HUD its Consolidated Plan which guides the County in describing the housing and community development needs, resources, priorities, and proposed activities over a 5-year span. The Consolidated Plan must be developed with extensive citizen participation as outlined in the Citizen Participation Plan. The Citizen Participation Plan provides for and encourages public participation, emphasizing involvement by low- and moderate-income people. Dane County also encourages participation of minorities, people who do not speak English, and people with disabilities.

Dane County CDBG/HOME funds must be used to benefit persons living in Dane County outside the City of Madison. Applicants with funding requests for projects in the City of Madison should contact the City of Madison CDBG Office or visit the Madison CDBG webpage for more information.

We Want Your Feedback!

Do you have a comment on an upcoming agenda item or a question for staff? Submit your comments or questions online through our Comments page.