The Jefferson County Commissioners and the Division of Community Development will celebrate National Community Development Week during the week of April 13 – 17. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program was enacted into law in 1975 and remains the principal federal program that provides grants to states, cities and towns to devise neighborhood approaches that will improve the physical, economic and social conditions of the communities. Because of its flexibility of use in a variety of projects, local governments and development officials have come to rely on the program as the cornerstone of any new community revitalization effort.

The CDBG program is administered nationally by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and locally by the Jefferson County Division of Community Development within the participating jurisdictions of Edgewater, Golden, Mountain View and Wheat Ridge.  The CDBG program enables these jurisdictions to meet the needs of its neighborhoods by undertaking physical improvements and by providing public services to low and moderate income residents.

In addition to CDBG, the Division also administers the Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) throughout Jefferson County. The HOME funds provide assistance to increase and preserve permanent affordable housing for income-eligible residents, including rental and homeownership opportunities. The CSBG program enables the Division to partner with local agencies and provide services to the low and very-low income populations. 

In celebration of Community Development Week, the Jefferson County will hold several events, which are open to the public:

• Tuesday, April 7 – County Commissioner Proclamation was read at the Board of County Commissioners’ Hearing in Hearing Room 1 of the County Courts & Administration Building
• Monday, April 13 - Open House from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. in Suite 3520 of the County Courts & Administration Building
  Join the staff of Community Development for coffee, bagels and conversation.
• Wednesday, April 15 – Information booth open from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. in the Atrium of the County Courts & Administration Building
  Come visit the information booth and see what Community Development is all about.
• Thursday, April 16 – 2009 Annual Agency Achievement Awards Ceremony at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, Mount Evans Room, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. The ceremony will recognize three outstanding agencies that have partnered with Community Development over the past year and highlight their special projects.