Community Development

The City receives an annual grant through the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant program.  The grant allocation for FY 23 is $203,000.  The amount of the annual grant has been increasing over the last ten years by +/- $5,000 a year.

The City uses the grant to run several programs to help low to moderate income citizens of the City.  The majority of the grant is used in three programs:

  • Emergency Home Repair, which fixes roofing, plumbing, or electrical issues in people’s houses.
  • Removal of Architectural Barriers program, which builds improvements such as ramps or accessible bathroom facilities in homes where a resident has a disability.
  • Direct Homeownership Assistance program, which provides down payment assistance for home buyers within the City limits.

The City’s CDBG grant also helps non-profits serve residents with a variety of needs:

  • Legal Aid Works to provide legal help prevent homelessness by providing legal services to people facing foreclosure or eviction. Legal Aid Works also provides community education to low-income tenants on topics like home and apartment maintenance and self-help.  
  • Lois Ann’s Hope House to prevent homelessness through their Fredericksburg Rent and Mortgage Assistance Program.  The program provides material support (including rent or utility assistance) or other services including conflict mediation with family, friends, or landlords and connection to mainstream services.
  • Fredericksburg Area Health and Support Services to provide rental and utility assistance, mental health and case management services to City residents living with HIV.   FAHASS also provides prevention resources and confidential HIV testing.

The City also uses the CDBG grant to improve some limited public facilities, such as making sidewalk connections along Roffman Road, where the need is identified in the Small Area Plans.

The City’s CDBG grant serves between 350 and 400 City residents each year.  

City Housing Programs

The Planning Services Division administers the following Housing Programs: Direct Homeownership Assistance Program, Emergency Home Repair Program, and the Removal of Architectural Barriers Program. These programs promote and maintain affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents of the City.

Fair Housing

Fair housing legislation specifies that housing opportunities are to be provided fairly to all persons, regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender/sex, familial status, or disability.

Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care

The City of Fredericksburg participates in the Fredericksburg Regional Continuum of Care (CoC). The CoC is a network of public and private agencies and individual advocates who collectively are working to end homelessness in the region.

Lead-Based Paint Hazards

Safety information on how to protect your family from lead-based paint hazards in buildings built prior to 1978.

Outside Agency Programs

Through the Community Development Block Grant, area non-profit organizations receive funds to provide public services to qualifying low- and moderate-income residents of the City.

Plans & Publications

The City has a variety of plans that describe goals and outcomes for the use of CDBG funding. Those plans are available for public review.

Useful Links

Multiple links that provide information on homeownership, home repair, and other public services.