The Cook County Department of Planning and Development, part of the Bureau of Economic Development, is accepting applications for the 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) programs. These grants are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are distributed through a competitive process. The purpose of these programs is to support capital improvements, economic development, demolition, public services, planning initiatives, and homelessness assistance projects within Cook County.

The CDBG program offers funding for two major categories: Capital Improvement (including economic development and demolition) and Public Service (including planning). The ESG program focuses on providing assistance for emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, and related services. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations that serve low- and moderate-income populations in Cook County. Each nonprofit agency may apply for only one project under either the CDBG Capital Improvement, Economic Development, or Demolition category, or one CDBG Public Service/Planning project.

Applications must be submitted online by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 21, 2025. To apply, applicants must review the appropriate application guide, complete the fillable PDF application, and upload the completed form along with any required or supplemental documentation. It is essential that applicants submit their forms in the designated fillable format and avoid submitting scanned copies.

To assist potential applicants, the Department of Planning and Development, in collaboration with the Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways, hosted an informational webinar on February 5, 2025. This webinar provided details on program compliance guidelines and the application process for CDBG and ESG funding, as well as the Invest in Cook program. A recording of the webinar is available for review.

Additional resources, such as low- and moderate-income data and Cook County policy documents, are available to help applicants understand eligibility requirements and funding priorities. Applicants are encouraged to review the county’s consolidated plan and economic development strategies to align their proposals with the county’s objectives.

For further inquiries, interested applicants may contact Kyle Garmes, public relations specialist for the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, via email at kyle.garmes@cookcountyil.gov.