County-wide Housing Rehabilitation, FY2026 Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program

How it works

The County of Salem is proposing a county-wide housing rehabilitation project under the federal Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program, with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs involved in the program structure. The county will hold a public hearing to explain the federal and state guidelines, review eligible and proposed activities, consider proposals for its application, and receive citizen comments and recommendations.

What the money covers

The public notice says eligible activities under the Small Cities CDBG program include:

• Acquisition of real property
• Acquisition, construction, or installation of public facilities
• Code enforcement in deteriorated or deteriorating areas
• Clearance, demolition and rehabilitation of buildings
• Special projects to remove architectural barriers that restrict accessibility for the elderly and handicapped
• Provision of public services
• Activities necessary to develop a comprehensive community development plan
• Policy planning management capacity to better administer the program
• Payment of reasonable administrative costs
• Activities carried out by public or private non-profit organizations

For this specific county proposal, the page says the project is for county-wide housing rehabilitation. It does not break out the exact repair scope, materials, or homeowner tasks funded.

Amounts and matching

The county states that total funds available are $1,500,000 for the program notice and that at least 70 percent of the funds available must be used for activities that primarily benefit people of low and moderate income. For the county-wide housing rehabilitation project, Salem County says it will seek an estimated $400,000 in Small Cities CDBG program funds.

The page does not state a homeowner-level award cap, a required match, reimbursement rules, or whether the $400,000 is the full project budget or only the requested grant amount.

How to apply

This page is a public hearing notice, not a full homeowner application page. Citizens are encouraged to attend the hearing or submit comments in writing to the County of Salem, 110 Fifth Street, Salem, NJ 08079, Attention: Administrator, within ten days following the public hearing. Written comments may also be sent to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Grant Development & Contract Administration Unit, P.O. Box 811, Trenton, NJ 08625-0811.

Timing and deadlines

• Publish date: January 27, 2026
• Public hearing: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 4:00 pm
• Written comments: due within 10 days after the public hearing

The page does not say when homeowner applications open or close, or whether the program is currently accepting applications.