SEAGO Regional Account CDBG
Each year the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) distributes the annual allocation of CDBG funds to the SEAGO region. SEAGO member communities apply for these Regional Account (RA) funds on a regular rotation schedule known as the Method of Distribution (MOD). The Regional Account allotment of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds is non-competitive.
Method of Distribution
The RA is distributed on a non-competitive basis to all rural cities, towns, and counties in Arizona. The method by which the funds are distributed is determined by the State working in conjunction with each regional Council of Governments (COG). Each COG develops a Method of Distribution (MOD) and forwards the MOD to the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) for approval. The MOD determines which communities will receive funding each year and how much will be received. At the time of application each community’s CDBG application amount must equal the allocation amount. The applications are routed through SEAGO to ADOH. ADOH will review all applications and make the final award determinations.
Every three years the COG will recommend their MOD to ADOH for the communities within the respective COG region. The MOD will be included in the annual updates of the Consolidated Plan, which is subject to a public participation process. At their regularly scheduled meeting held August 16, 2024, the SEAGO Executive Board adopted the current 2025-2027 MOD.
Historic MODs reflect funding amounts allocated by ADOH in those years, filtered through past data shares of poverty and population size in each SEAGO member county:
Application Assistance
SEAGO's responsibility is to assist our communities by providing technical assistance and application preparation for member communities applying for Regional Account funds. This involves:
· Ensuring that funds requested are consistent with the MOD;
· Assisting with the public participation process, preparing ads and conducting hearings;
· Responding to questions from community stakeholders;
· Ensuring each potential project is eligible, fundable and meets a National Objective;
· Researching Census or other Low-to-Moderate Income (LM) data;
· Planning and determining scope of work, project phasing, and budget;
· Determining beneficiaries and other demographic information;
· Completing and collecting application forms, maps, resolutions, etc.;
· Reviewing and revising all completed applications before recommending them to SEAGO’s Executive Board for funding and before submitting them to ADOH;
· The community may contract with SEAGO to write the entire application for them.
The community may also contract with SEAGO to implement and administer their Regional Account (RA) grants once funded. Up to 18 percent of the grant may be used to pay for project administration, which includes:
· Completion of an Environmental Review Record (ERR);
· Procurement of design professionals;
· Procurement of materials or equipment;
· Participation in all design meetings to ensure design professionals and community staff are keeping the project in line with grant parameters and timelines;
· Assisting design professionals with development of bid documents;
· Preparation of Labor Standards requirements and Environmental Condition inserts for inclusion into the bid documents;
· Overseeing the construction bidding and contracting processes;
· Completing all Labor Standards requirements;
· Attending construction meetings;
· Ensuring grant funds are drawn and tracked according to ADOH rules and timelines;
· Meeting all other requirements per the contract with ADOH;
· Maintaining files for the community;
· Attending monitoring visit(s) by ADOH;
· Responding to any questions or concerns ADOH may have;
· Preparing the Closeout Report;
· Assisting auditors as needed.
For more information regarding the SEAGO CDBG Program, please contact William D. Osborne, AICP, Community Development Program Manager at 520.559.8546 or wosborne@seago.org.