The county expects to receive roughly $1.3 million in CDBG and $766,119 in HOME dollars for the next round of projects. The money will fund 15 CDBG and four HOME projects. Eligible projects must be in a geographic area populated by poor to moderate-income residents and benefit that same demographic.
Among this year’s grant winners:
- A skate park in Oxford
- Salt barn in New Miami
- Police cruiser for Seven Mile
- Fitton Center for Creative Arts after school and summer arts program
- Housing help and home repair assistance
- Street and sidewalk upgrades
- Annual contribution to the Butler County Regional Transit Authority job shuttle
- Village Food Pantry
There are others on the list, too.
“The Consolidated Planning Committee recommended these projects based on their eligibility and the community’s needs,” Linderman said. “Through these proposed projects we are estimating more than 46,000 individuals would benefit through the various public service facility and infrastructure projects.”
Qualifying for funds
Each year, the commissioners receive federal CDBG and HOME grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They receive millions of dollars in requests for funding for infrastructure projects such as sidewalk repairs, water and sewer projects and other needs. The HOME dollars are generally spent on addressing the homeless situation and dearth of affordable housing countywide.
Right off the top, the development department collects $153,096 for performing administrative duties. The county’s community development department is not supported by the county general fund, they subsist on percentages of the grants they administer.
The county also administers the CDBG programs for Fairfield and Oxford, so their allocations are required. Fairfield is using its $131,815 to build a stretch of sidewalk on Dixie Highway between Michael Lane and Holden Boulevard. Oxford wants to use its $131,815 for a new skate park to replace the old one that had to be demolished.
How does a skate park qualify for federal funding? The application says it will:
- Provide a free, accessible recreational space for youth and families.
- Enhance neighborhood livability and increase access to physical activity.
- Serve as a positive gathering space for residents from diverse backgrounds.
- Support the city’s goals under the Comprehensive Plan to expand recreational opportunities and equitable access to public facilities.
The largest CDBG award is $148,250 to expand and resurface the St. Clair Twp. fire department parking lot. The biggest HOME allocation is going to Middletown, a total of $229,835, for down payment assistance. They are in a consortium with the county and thus entitled to 38% of the funding.
Last year the county did a HUD-required, 5-year consolidated plan for the best use of an estimated $11 million in CDBG and HOME funds. Development Director David Fehr said they developed the five-year plan by taking the pulse of the public through 44 stakeholder interviews, a survey that 250 people filled out, two public meetings and 12 one-on-one in-depth stakeholder interviews.
It included the same five high priorities as the previous plan, which are to improve the quality and affordability of housing; revitalize neighborhoods and rural areas; develop permanent supportive and transitional housing; support public services and education and improve public facilities targeted to the demographic for HUD support.
Commissioner Cindy Carpenter asked how the planned projects for this year “match back to our consolidated plan, are we hitting any particular target goals?”
Linderman assured her “we are matching those exact requirements or goals,” and they won’t know the exact funding amounts until May. They are required to pass a plan now, but the federal money for these programs has stayed pretty constant.
In December 2025 the county had to rush to change its HUD-funded Continuum of Care homeless housing program after the administration in Washington D.C. issued an edit to shift more dollars from the Permanent Supportive Housing to transitional living programs. All of the county’s allocation is currently used for PSH; the directive was to only use 30% of the funding on giving people a home on a long-term basis.
A lawsuit intervened, and the CoC funding has remained in-tact for this year. Linderman told the Journal-News the Trump administration tried to drastically reduce CDBG and eliminate HOME grants: “We were concerned for a little bit there but as far as I’m aware we should be safe.”
“There was some concern at first but as it went through congress they decided to ignore that,” she said. “It’s my understanding that the federal government is fully funding the CDBG and HOME programs for ‘26.
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