COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

CONTACT INFORMATION

Located at Hattiesburg City Hall, the office is open Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

200 Forrest Street
Post Office Box 1898
Hattiesburg, MS 39403-1898
601-554-1006

PUBLIC NOTICES

April 30, 2025 – PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Hattiesburg will conduct a public hearing for the 2019 Action Plan Substantial Amendment related to the Community Development Block Grant Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) Program.The purpose of the public hearing is to allow residents to review and comment on the proposed substantial amendments to the 2019 Annual Action Plan concerning the planned use of CDBG-CV funds. These funds support programs and projects that address community needs related to the impacts of COVID-19.

The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at Hattiesburg City Hall, City Council Chambers, 200 W. Front Street. The City of Hattiesburg encourages citizen participation, and comments regarding the 2019 Action Plan CDBG-CV Substantial Amendment may be directed to the Community Development Division located at 200 Forrest Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39402, or by email to cdbg@hattiesburgms.com. All interested residents and service providers are invited to attend and provide feedback. Comments will be accepted through Wednesday, May 14, 2025.

May 14, 2025 – PUBLIC HEARING

The City of Hattiesburg will conduct a public hearing for the Program Year 2025 Annual Action Plan for its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The purpose of the public hearing is to allow residents to learn about eligible program activities, review the proposed action plan, and provide input on how the City plans to use approximately $542,000 in CDBG funds and $281,000 in HOME funds to address housing and community development needs.

The public hearing will take place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, from 6 – 7 p.m. at The Train Depot, located at 308 Newman Street. The City of Hattiesburg encourages citizen participation, and comments regarding the 2025 Annual Action Plan may be directed to the Community Development Division located at 200 Forrest Street, Hattiesburg, MS, 39402, or by email to cdbg@hattiesburgms.com.

For a current list of all public notices, please visit https://www.hattiesburgms.com/public-notices/.

PROGRAM DOCUMENTS

Links below provide more information on certain program areas.
2024 Action Plan Draft
2024 Action Plan Draft Comment Form
2023 CAPER – Draft
2023 CAPER Comment Form
2022 Action Plan
2021 Action Plan
2020 Action Plan
2019 Action Plan
2018-2022 Consolidated Plan & 2018 Annual Action Plan
2019 Analysis of Impediments
Maps of Median Income and Minority Concentration
2020 CAPER
2019 CAPER
CDBG Policies and Procedures – DRAFT
Citizen Participation Plan
HOME Homeowner Rehabilitation Policies & Procedures
Residential Anti-Displacement
CoH HOME-ARP Allocation Plan DRAFT

The Community Development Division administers the annual grant programs funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as well as other grant opportunities that may complement such efforts. Primarily, this division manages projects funded through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Grant (HOME). Both of these programs are intended to benefit low- to moderate-income (LMI) individuals and households.  Administration of the programs is guided by the City’s 5-year Consolidated Plan and each year’s Action Plan.

HOME

The HOME Program focuses on Affordable Housing. The City offers Down Payment Assistance awards to income-eligible first-time home buyers; oversees a rehabilitation program for homeowner-occupied dwellings; and partners with non-profit organizations for the purpose of constructing or rehabilitating houses to be sold or rented as affordable units.

CDBG

The CDBG Program allows for activities that benefit LMI individuals, LMI households, areas of the community that are majority LMI, or serve to create jobs available to LMI persons.  CDBG Programs undertaken by the City include Homeowner-occupied rehabilitation and Emergency Repairs, Downtown Facade Improvement, various Public Services through non-profits, Microenterprise Assistance, Public Facility Improvement, and Infrastructure Improvement.

Programs with ongoing application periods:

  • HOME Downpayment Assistant for First Time Homebuyers
  • CDBG Facade Improvement Assistance
  • CDBG Emergency Housing Repair (homeowner-occupied)

Programs with limited application periods:

  • CDBG & HOME Substantial Housing Rehabilitation (homeowner-occupied)
  • CDBG Public Service Awards for Non-Profits
  • CDBG Microenterprise Assistance

Individuals interested in programs with time-limited application periods are encouraged to call the Community Development Division at (601) 554-1006 for more information. Notices of Funding Availability or Requests for applications/proposals will be advertised in the Pine Belt News when funding is available. Whether or not funding is available will depend on the amount of funding made available in the City’s annual grant awards and what priority level is assigned to these program areas in comparison with others.

Emergency Roof Repair Initiative

The Community Development Division will be accepting 50 pre-applications on a first-come, first-served basis for the Emergency Roof Repair Initiative. Pre-applications are available at the Community Development Office (located at 200 Forrest Street). Pre-applications will only be accepted on Thursday, December 15, 2022, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  For questions, please contact Community Development at 601-554-1006.

Prospective applicants must answer the following questions and meet HUD standards prior to application and housing feasibility inspection.

  1. Are you the sole owner of the property?
  2. Are all homeowners listed on the deed currently living in the household?
  3. Have you lived at this address for more than 1 year?
  4. Can you provide a 12-month utility bill/statement for services in your name?
  5. Do you live within the City limits of Hattiesburg, Forrest County?
  6. Do you have current Homeowners Insurance on the property? *Mandatory homeowners insurance requirements have been waived for homeowners as of March 2022. However, if you reside in a Flood Zone, flood insurance is required.
  7. Are your property taxes paid for the previous year or exempt?
  8. Can you provide income verification for everyone in the household?
  9. What is the yearly household income?
  10. Do you have an immediate family member employed with the City of Hattiesburg’s Urban Development Department?
  11. How many people live in your household? *This program is income based and will require proof of income
  12. Do you have a Mortgage on your home? If yes, how much?