Twenty-nine municipalities have joined a consortium to qualify for federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The funds may be used for projects and programs that provide assistance, opportunities or support for low or moderate income residents. The program is administered by the Department of Planning & Development.

All Dutchess County municipalities are currently involved in this program, except the City of Poughkeepsie, which has its own CDBG program.

Participating municipalities are eligible to apply for funding that can be used to address infrastructure, housing, and handicapped accessibility improvements.

County Planning staff will provide professional planning assistance to local municipalities on a variety of projects. Most projects are of limited duration and focus on a particular geographic area or a particular zoning or land use issue. Recent projects have included technical assistance on new zoning for the Hamlet of Irondale (Town of North East) and the Beacon Linkage District, and Sidewalk Plans for the Village of Rhinebeck and the Hamlet of Hyde Park.

The assistance is provided to a local municipality (city, town, village). Generally the request for assistance comes from the chief elected official and/or the governing board, but the Department may work with a particular Board (e.g. Planning Board) or with a special committee (e.g. a zoning review committee) to complete the task.

Local municipalities can receive professional planning assistance at no or very low cost. The process also builds trust between local governments and the County