Summit County Housing Fund Community Development Fund

Summit County Housing Fund Community Development Fund, doing business as the Department of Community and Economic Development, is a local government entity based in Akron, Ohio that has been registered to receive federal awards since April 2009. The organization operates as a child entity within Summit County's government structure and serves as a participating jurisdiction for multiple federal housing and community development programs. Through its federal grant awards, Summit County Housing Fund Community Development Fund provides comprehensive community development and affordable housing services designed to support low-income residents and revitalize economically distressed areas throughout Summit County and surrounding communities.

The organization has demonstrated substantial capacity in delivering services across multiple federal grant programs and funding agencies. From the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the entity has received multiple HOME Investment Partnerships Program formula grants totaling over $720,000 in recent awards (December 2025 and December 2024), which support affordable housing activities including rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing, homebuyer assistance, rental housing development, and tenant-based rental assistance. Additionally, HUD's Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control awarded a $1,999,078 cooperative agreement under the Older Adults Home Modification Grant Program (active April 2025 through April 2028), enabling low-income elderly homeowners to age in place through accessibility modifications such as grab bars, railings, ramps, and transfer benches, with services delivered by licensed occupational therapists. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a significant $1,200,000 cooperative agreement under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup program to conduct environmental assessments and remediation planning across Akron, Cuyahoga, and Norton, including 29 Phase I assessments, 20 Phase II assessments, 12 asbestos surveys, and 20 site-specific cleanup plans. The organization also received Community Development Block Grants from HUD's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, and a $268,200 project grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration for a broadband expansion feasibility study. Most recently, Summit County Housing Fund Community Development Fund received a sub-award from the Ohio Department of Transportation related to traffic control and safety initiatives dated June 2021, demonstrating its role in coordinating multi-agency community development efforts.