South East Texas Regional Planning Commission

South East Texas Regional Planning Commission Community Development Division is a U.S. local government entity and council of governments based in Beaumont, Texas, that receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient (40% of awards) and sub-recipient (60% of awards) to deliver community development, transportation, intergenerational volunteer services, and regional planning programs to Southeast Texas.

The commission operates exclusively in the federal grant space; it does not hold federal contracts or participate in contract vehicles. Its core capability portfolio spans rural public transportation operations, AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer coordination, port security infrastructure enhancement, community development and poverty reduction, emergency management planning, and regional transportation coordination. Representative prime recipient work includes a $532,442 three-year AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program award from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CFDA 94.011), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, which funds intergenerational mentoring and tutoring for children with special needs or academic disadvantage across schools, Head Start programs, and childcare centers throughout the region. The commission also received a $323,527 Port Security Grant Program award from FEMA (CFDA 97.056) in August 2023 for security infrastructure improvements at the Port of Beaumont, and a prior $396,357 FEMA Port Security grant (September 2021–August 2024) for similar port enhancements. The commission acts as sub-recipient on roughly 36 awards from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living, managing community living services, aging programs, and home and community-based services through pass-through grants from the Health and Human Services Commission of Texas; receives transportation sub-awards from the Texas Department of Transportation for regional public transportation coordination planning, demand-response transit operations in rural Hardin, Orange, and Jefferson counties, Section 5310 services for seniors and persons with disabilities, and vehicle acquisition; and sub-receives Community Services Block Grant funds from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for poverty reduction and low-income family empowerment.

Customer concentration is heavy and narrow. The top five funders account for 65% of awards. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living anchors the footprint with 36 awards, followed by the Corporation for National and Community Service (17 awards) and its Office of Grants Management (13 awards). FEMA and the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families round out the active set with 7 awards each. The commission serves 13 distinct federal agencies across its award portfolio. Activity has grown sharply year over year — from 1 award in 2022 to 29 awards in 2025 — with five awards received as of July 2026. The commission's sub-recipient role predominates across the grantor landscape; most of its operational work flows through state intermediaries (Texas DHHS, Texas TDHCA, Texas TCEQ, TxDOT) rather than direct federal relationships, reflecting its institutional structure as a regional planning organization positioned to administer federal pass-through dollars and deliver place-based services in a nine-county Southeast Texas region.