Current Grants and Programs
  
 HUD Entitlement Community Program (CDBG)

Since 2003, the City of Bowie has been designated as an Entitlement Community, which allows the City to receive direct funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The Office of Grant Development & Administration (OGDA) manages this program and uses the funds for projects throughout the City including the Workforce Development Program and housing upgrades and energy efficiency enhancements for citizens homes throughout the City through the Single Family Rehab Program.

Read more about the HUD Entitlement Community Program…

Single Family Housing Rehabilitation Program

The Single Family Housing Rehabilitation Program is a federally funded grant program that provides financial assistance to single family homeowners with limited financial means. The purpose of the grant is to provide energy efficiency related upgrades and repairs to correct hazardous conditions, eliminate safety hazards, and repair or replace major systems.

Read more about the Single Family Housing Rehabilitation Program…

Workforce Training Program for Youth and Young Adults

The City of Bowie Office of Grant Development and Administration, in conjunction with Bowie Youth and Family Services, offers a free Workforce Development and Life Skills Training Program to residents between the ages of 15 and 25. The program will provide free workforce readiness training, which will include a portion on life skills and another on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) career paths. The application period opens in early winter, and classes take place in the spring.

Read more about the Workforce Training Program...

Other Resources

Homeless Services

OGDA represents the City of Bowie as a member of the Prince George’s County Homeless Services Partnership (HSP), which is responsible for executing the goals and objectives outlined in the County’s 10-year Continuum of Care Plan to End Homelessness. HSP operates under the direction of the County’s Department of Social Services (DSS) and is responsible for the planning, day-to-day management, and overall operation of the County’s homeless services initiatives. DSS is responsible for the annual HUD-mandated Point-in-Time (PIT) count; a one-day survey and count of unsheltered homeless persons throughout the County.

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Fair Housing 

As an Entitlement Community with HUD, the City is required to “affirmatively further fair housing” by analyzing impediments to fair housing and to take other steps to remove and/or preclude barriers to fair housing, where possible. OGDA implements these requirements through a number of activities including training, counseling referrals, and information dissemination. Every year the City hosts a Fair Housing Symposium and Work Session on rights and obligations under the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

 Read more about Fair Housing…

Sustainable Community Action Plan 

The Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 475: Sustainable Communities Act of 2010. The Act was passed to increase economic, transportation, and housing choices, as well as to improve environmental quality and health outcomes, among other locally identified goals.

Municipalities are required to become an approved Sustainable Community to be considered for certain State funds. In May 2012, the Maryland Smart Growth Subcabinet approved the City’s Sustainable Community Action Plan and designated it as a Sustainable Community.

Under this program, the City has designated six sites as target areas for development and revitalization:

• Old Town Bowie
• Pointer Ridge
• Melford
• West Bowie Village
• Bowie Main Street
• Bowie Regional Center

Affordable Housing

The City encourages all developers to include affordable housing units in each development project. Without the proper zoning authority (in most cases, zoning authority rests with the Prince George’s County Planning Board and the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission), the City must rely on the statutes of the Fair Housing Act to “affirmatively further fair housing” which includes the provision of supplying units for low and moderate income households. OGDA works with regional research entities, financial institutions, and advocacy groups to assess affordable housing needs and attempts to provide such units in each jurisdiction.

The Director of OGDA currently serves as the Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Housing Directors Advisory Committee and is a member of the Strategic Regional Affordable Housing Group.

Past Programs

Senior Citizen "Green" Housing Rehabilitation Program  

The Senior Citizen "Green" Housing Rehabilitation Program was a federally funded grant program that provides financial assistance to single family senior citizen homeowners with limited financial means. The purpose of the grant is to provide energy efficiency related upgrades and repairs to correct hazardous conditions, eliminate safety hazards, and repair or replace major systems. This program was expanded into the Single Family Rehab Program.

Old Town Bowie - Employment & Employability Training Pilot 

The City Council has approved a Workforce & Life Skills Development & Training Pilot program to help address employment and employability of youth and young adults between the ages of 15 to 25 years old in the Old Town Bowie Community. 

A comprehensive approach will be implemented to look at the whole family to determine what services are needed to provide an environment conducive to an elevated quality of life for the family and the community. The program will be managed by the Office of Grant Development & Administration (OGDA). This pilot was expanded into the City-wide Workforce Training Program.

More Grant Programs...