Arkansas – Earlier this week, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, along with Secretary Hugh McDonald, Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) Director Clint O’Neal, and Grants Division Director Jean Noble, revealed that the AEDC has awarded $8,478,624 in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to 17 cities and counties across Arkansas.
Supporting Development Statewide
These grants are part of Arkansas’s $17.8 million allocation for FY 2023, funded through the General Assistance set-aside program. This funding is designed to empower local communities to apply for non-housing public facility and infrastructure projects. The funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and are meant to uplift communities by improving public amenities, supporting workforce readiness, and ensuring access to safe drinking water.
“When the federal government works right, in coordination with state and local experts, the results can be fantastic. The Community Development Block Grant program is a great example of state and federal collaboration,” said Governor Sanders. “This year’s seventeen recipients come from all across our state, from Garland City in the southwest to Peach Orchard in the northeast. Each one of these grants advances our administration’s priorities of improving our education system, investing in workforce readiness, and ensuring that every Arkansan has access to safe and clean drinking water.”
Marking 50 Years of Community Support
The announcement coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant Program. Enacted in 1974 under the Housing and Community Development Act, the CDBG provides crucial funding for infrastructure, economic development, housing, disaster recovery, and other community needs nationwide. Arkansas has utilized the program since 1983, funding over 2,390 projects with more than $900 million, benefiting over 5.16 million Arkansans.
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“Across Arkansas, there are thriving communities that are laying the foundation for future economic success and improving the lives of their citizens,” said AEDC Executive Director Clint O’Neal. “The Community Development Block Grants help local communities to strengthen that foundation to provide excellent quality of life and a great business environment for companies.”
Grant Recipients and Projects
This year’s grants support projects across Arkansas, from after-school youth centers to road improvements:
- Columbia County: $500,000 for an after-school youth center
- Dierks, Howard County: $499,743 for water system improvements
- Dumas, Desha County: $499,935, for sewer system improvement
- East Camden, Ouachita County: $499,420, for sewer system improvements
- Garland City, Miller County: $500,000 for pond levee improvements
- Hope, Hempstead County: $500,000, for wastewater system improvements
- Jennette, Crittenden County: $500,000, for water system improvements
- · Kensett, White County: $499,750, for wastewater treatment plant improvements
- · Kingsland, Cleveland County: $500,000, for pump station improvements and pipe repairs
- · Lockesburg, Sevier County: $500,000, for water tank improvements
- · Logan County: $485,556, for senior center renovations
- Lonoke, Lonoke County: $498,874 for sewer line rehabilitation
- Lonoke County: $500,000, for developmentally disabled vocational training facility
- · Pangburn, White County: $500,000, for wastewater collection system rehabilitation
- Peach Orchard, Clay County: $498,920 for water line rehabilitation
- Sparkman, Dallas County: $496,426, for wastewater rehabilitation
- Van Buren County: $500,000 for road improvements
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Continuing the Legacy
The AEDC aims to continue the successful implementation of these grants while recognizing the achievements of the awardees. “We are proud to recognize the awardees for their hard work and dedication to addressing their highest priority community needs and administering these funds effectively back in local cities and counties,” said Jean Noble, Director of AEDC’s Grants Division.
The CDBG program remains a vital resource for Arkansas cities and counties, ensuring that even the most vulnerable communities can thrive through collaboration and support. For more information on Arkansas’s CDBG program, visit Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
