Laserfiche WebLink
According to grant eligibility requirements, only projects that served low to moderate income <br />populations were eligible for CDBG funding. Specifically, more than 51% of the benefiting <br />population needed to be low to moderate income. The US Department of Housing and Urban <br />Development publishes a map of qualified census tracts that meet the low to moderate income <br />requirements and is now widely used by agencies when such project requirements are in place. <br />Map showing the Qualified Census Tract (QCT) that made Little Canada’s <br />Portion of Twin Lake Blvd Grant Eligible for CDBG Grant Funds <br />Project staff lobbied Ramsey County staff that the Vadnais Heights portion of the project has a <br />benefiting population that may also qualify as low to moderate income and asked if the entire <br />project could be submitted for grant funds. However, Ramsey County staff indicated that the <br />Vadnais Heights portion was not in a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) and it could only receive <br />funding if an income survey was performed to document and justify that a low to moderate <br />income population was served. Due to timing constraints associated with the grant application, <br />an income survey could not be performed, and project staff only applied for Little Canada’s <br />share ($506k) of the $1.0M trail estimate. <br />A formal income study was performed in December of 2022 to show that the benefiting area in <br />Vadnais Heights indeed met the low to moderate income threshold (income survey results show <br />almost 90% meet the low to moderate income threshold). This income survey officially enabled <br />Little Canada to share grant funds being received from Ramsey County. Since that time, Little <br />Canada staff has shown all of Little Canada’s share of trail costs being paid for by the grant with <br />excess grant funds being used to fund Vadnais Heights’ share of trail costs. <br />Trail funding for Vadnais Heights has been a noted concern since project conception and the <br />Cooperative Agreement for the project includes language that the project scope can be reduced <br />by Vadnais Heights if they are unable to find funding for their share of the trail. Bolton & Menk <br />staff has also pursued the following additional grant opportunities on behalf of Vadnais Heights <br />to help fund the remaining portion of trail costs, however both of these efforts were unsuccessful.