CDFI Fund to Release Updated Program Eligibility Information: 2011-2015 American Community Survey Census Bureau Data

The Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) has established a plan for releasing updated program eligibility information based upon Census Bureau data from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS). Eligibility requirements for the Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program), Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program), Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program), and New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program) will be released according to the timetable below.

Currently, eligibility information for the above listed CDFI Fund programs is determined by data collected through the 2006-2010 ACS. The CDFI Fund revises program eligibility criteria to coincide with each subsequent full five-year ACS data release, which is now the 2011-2015 release. However, the CDFI Fund plans to implement a one-year transition period to allow program applicants and recipients the option to determine eligibility using either 2006-2010 ACS data or 2011-2015 ACS data.

Detailed information regarding usage of ACS data during the transition period will be posted on the program-specific pages on the CDFI Fund website. The CDFI Fund will provide public notification as transition guidance for CDFI Fund programs becomes available.

• New Markets Tax Credit Program Low-Income Community (LIC) Data: to be released October 31, 2017 Updated LIC data may be used starting on the release date, with a one-year transition period to use prior 2006-2010 ACS data. For more information, view the NMTC Census Data Transition FAQs here.

• Bank Enterprise Award Distressed Community Data: to be released Spring 2018 (tentative) Updated BEA data may be used starting on the release date, with a one-year transition period to use prior 2006-2010 ACS data.

• CDFI and NACA Programs Certification Investment Areas: to be released Summer 2018 (tentative) CDFI Program and NACA Program data may be used starting on the release date, with a one-year transition period to use prior 2006-2010 ACS data.

Program specific policies related to the transition to 2011-2015 ACS data and revised eligibility tables will be posted to the research page, as well as to relevant program pages on the CDFI Fund website. Updated Community Investment Mapping System (CIMS) data reflecting new program eligibility will tentatively be deployed with revised eligibility tables.

For questions related to the ACS transition, contact the CDFI Fund via email at cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov, with the subject line "ACS Question."