Description:

This fund provides assistance to colonia areas to connect to a water and sewer system improvement project funded by the Texas Water Development Board Economically Distressed Areas Program (TWDB EDAP) or federal or state funding with a similar purpose.

An application cannot be submitted until the construction of the TWDB EDAP-funded water or sewer system begins. The applicant should work closely with CDBG staff.

Projects supported through this CDBG-funded program must meet primary beneficiary requirements. All applicants must refer to the most recent CEDAP Application Guide for complete program details and information.

Eligible Applicants:

County governments must submit an application on behalf of eligible colonia areas; the colonia area(s) must be located within 150 miles of the Texas-Mexico border region and be an TWDB-EDAP eligible county with ongoing projects. However, any county that is part of a standard metropolitan statistical area with a population exceeding 1,000,000 is not eligible under this fund.

Annexed colonias may be eligible for funding through this program.

A "colonia" is defined as: any identifiable unincorporated community that is determined to be a colonia on the basis of objective criteria, including lack of potable water supply, lack of adequate sewage systems, and lack of decent, safe, and sanitary housing; and was in existence as a colonia prior to the date of enactment of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (November 28, 1990).*

Some exceptions may apply. Please see the CEDAP Application Guide for complete details.

* Upon enactment of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, the four states that share a border with Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, were required to make funds available from each of the States Community Development Block Grant nonentitlement allocation for activities designed to meet the needs of the residents of colonias. 

Award Amounts

Evaluation and Selection