The DuPage County Community Development Commission (CDC) was established in 1975 as a cooperative effort of DuPage municipalities and the County Board. The primary responsibility of the CDC is to advise the County Board on the following programs:

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
• Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG)
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)
• Human Services Grant Fund (HSGF)
  

HUD has classified DuPage County as an Entitlement Community.  The CDBG entitlement program allocates annual grants to larger cities and urban counties to develop viable communities by providing decent housing, a suitable living environment, and opportunities to expand economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.

Each year, HUD awards each entitlement community a grant, calculated with a formula utilizing several objective measures of community needs, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas.

HUD awards grants to entitlement community grantees to carry out a wide range of community development activities directed toward revitalizing neighborhoods, economic development, and providing improved community facilities and services.

Entitlement communities develop their own programs and funding priorities. However, grantees must give maximum feasible priority to activities which benefit low- and moderate-income persons.  The funding priorities for DuPage are outlined in the 5-year Consolidated Plan.

Projects funded by the CDBG, HOME, and ESG programs are selected from individual applications submitted by the municipalities, the County, and many non-profit groups. The selection process requires several steps before final approval of projects. Annual applications are generally due to the CDC in October, the CDC completes its recommendation in December, and the County Board takes final action in February. The funds are available to start new activities in April. Administration of each project is done through a Subgrantee Agreement with a sharing of responsibility between the Subgrantee and the CDC Staff.