Elgin and La Grande receive nearly 2.3 million dollars in Community Development Block Grants
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, March 23rd, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
ELGIN & LA GRANDE – Business Oregon recently announced that 13 rural city and county projects across the state have been selected to receive over 11 million dollars combined as part of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This effort, as written by Business Oregon in a recent release, “supports the development of livable communities by expanding economic opportunities and providing suitable housing and living environments for persons of low and moderate income.”
Specifically, the 13 projects will provide $11,461,523 for rural development in Oregon. Among the recipients, both the cities of Elgin and La Grande made the recent list, receiving a combined $2,287,941 in grant funding. The Majority of this money, $2,212,491, was part of Elgin’s grant (the third highest of the 13) while the remaining $75,000 was granted to La Grande. Details on what the specific funds will be used for, as written by Business Oregon, are as follows:
City of Elgin; $2,212,491 Total CDBG Award
The City of Elgin’s public water system is aging and faces multiple challenges affecting water circulation, pressure, and supply reliability. The city will use the funding to construct multiple improvements in accordance with its final design specifications and environmental review conditions.
City of LaGrande; $75,000 Total CDBG Award
The City of LaGrande will use the funding to secure the services of the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District (NEOEDD) to provide general and specific trainings regarding entrepreneurship and microenterprise management within Wallowa, Baker, and Union Counties. NEOEDD will provide training to an estimated 30 microentrepreneurs and at least 51% of all clients served will be low- or moderate-income.
