Community-Based Planning

The city of Dunkirk, New York turned to CLICD when it decided to increase community participation in planning for the use of federal community development funds. CLICD worked with the local government, nonprofit groups and citizens to develop a community-based planning process for distributing $700,000 annually in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money. CLICD facilitated the development of a citizens task force, created maps for use at community meetings, trained local government staff and community groups on GIS and the Consolidated Plan process, and provided ongoing support as the community determined funding priorities and strategies for assisting low income neighborhoods. CLICD's technical assistance has enabled Dunkirk to engage low income citizens in a process that ultimately determines who benefits from a critical federal program.