Federal Grants - Community Development Block Grant

Kitsap County and City of Bremerton affordable housing inventory and market analysis study released

The City of Bremerton and Kitsap County partnered to hire EcoNorthwest, a local consulting firm, to perform a countywide affordable housing inventory and market analysis study. The study includes information about the current state of the affordable housing market, an analysis of the gap between available affordable housing and needed units, projections of future housing needs, and recommendations for policy tools that would impact development of additional units of affordable housing. The scope of the study covers all of the Kitsap cities and county, with additional aspects focusing on Bremerton.

Funding for the study comes from the City of Bremerton, the Kitsap County Block Grant Program, and the Kitsap County Housing and Homelessness Division.
The study is called out in the 2018 update to Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan as an implementation strategy in the Housing and Human Services Element. It will also provide information for future Comprehensive Plan updates and the upcoming Kitsap County and City of Bremerton HOME Consortium Consolidated Plan 2021 – 2025 which includes the priorities and goals to guide the allocation of Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Program funds over the five year period.

EcoNorthwest is an experienced consultant in the areas of affordable housing, land use, transportation, and economic development. They have offices in Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and Boise and have been offering consulting services since 1974. The firm has conducted similar types of studies in other Washington jurisdictions, including Skagit County, Island County, and Issaquah, and in other states. Recently it assisted the City of Bainbridge Island with an affordable housing and inclusionary zoning project.

Several public presentations of the study had been planned but were cancelled due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions. Instead, a virtual open house and presentation will be scheduled in the next few months. Information on this event will be announced through the Kitsap County alert system.

For links to the study, please go to the Kitsap County website or click here to download.

Bremerton Homeownership Program

The City of Bremerton, in partnership with Community Frameworks, presents the Bremerton Homeownership Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Program. The program is designed to provide deferred payment, low-interest subordinate loans that make home buying affordable for eligible home buyers purchasing within the Bremerton City Limits. Funding for this program comes from the City of Bremerton’s HUD allocation of Federal HOME funds and is matched with DPA from other sources provided by Community Frameworks for up to 20% of the purchase price. Community Frameworks’ partner lenders have additional DPA available as well.

For more information please visit the Housing Information webpage or contact Community Frameworks at 360-377-7738 ext. 2, or visit their website.

Most Block Grant assistance is used for large-scale projects and programs that are carried out in partnership with local agencies and contractors. If you need emergency assistance for you or your household please feel free to contact the Housing Solutions Center 360-377-0053.

Upon advance request, the City will provide for interpretation or translation services to meet the needs of non-English speaking residents. The City will take appropriate actions to serve the needs of persons with disabilities.

More Information

Please visit the Consolidated Planning page for more information about how this program works.

Explore CDBG
CDBG Making a Difference
CDBG and HOME are federal block grant programs from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that provide communities with flexible funding to address a wide range of community development needs.
The City of Bremerton receives this block grant funding each year to expand economic opportunities, and provide a suitable living environment and decent housing--principally for our low- and moderate-income community members.
The City’s Block Grant funding has touched countless lives and impacted our community in many ways, great and small. Available below are links to information about our annual awards, policies, performance reports, and more.