Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

ADECA: Impacting Alabama The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs works every day to positively impact Alabama communities through partnerships, grant programs, and services to spur community and economic development and enhance quality of life. ADECA is a state agency that partners with leaders at the local level to positively impact and enhance the quality of life in Alabama communities through dozens of federal and state grant programs, surplus property, and water resource management. ADECA’s grant programs support and fund local initiatives that communities often would not be able to afford on their own and improve many facets of life through community and economic development. Our programs help address critical infrastructure needs like water, sewer, and broadband; provide law enforcement equipment and support for victims of crime; build new trails and recreational features; and assist with energy efficiency that lowers energy costs. ADECA is an agency of partnership and action, working every day to impact Alabama communities by awarding hundreds of millions of grants annually and tackling pressing issues and community needs. HISTORY The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs was created by the Legislature as an arm of the Governor’s Office in 1983. The enabling legislation for the department is codified in Title 41, Chapter 23 of the Code of Alabama, and many of ADECA’s duties are delineated in this chapter. The ADECA Director is a member of the Governor’s Cabinet and serves, along with the Deputy Director, at the pleasure of the Governor. The Legislature established ADECA to streamline and professionalize the management of a number of federally-funded programs administered by the state. By consolidating numerous agencies into a single department, administrative costs were reduced while ensuring that strict federal requirements for comprehensive monitoring, reporting and auditing were implemented. Today, ADECA is responsible for administering a broad range of state and federal programs that contribute to the department’s mission. Each year we distribute hundreds of millions of dollars to Alabama cities, counties, non-profit organizations and others. Our grants support economic development projects, infrastructure improvements, energy conservation, law enforcement, traffic safety, recreation development and assistance to low-income families. We also work to monitor and protect Alabama’s water resources, and we distribute state and federal surplus property to local governments and other qualified organizations. ADECA programs are as diverse as the people of Alabama and impact every corner of the state. The department works to assist children, the elderly, victims of crime and abuse, the disadvantaged and poor and the unemployed. Businesses, local governments, schools and non-profit organizations benefit from the hundreds of grants and contracts administered by ADECA.