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MWBE & Section 3

Change Happens CDC complies with local and federal construction program guidelines and provides opportunities for certified Minority/Women Business Enterprises (M/WBE) and Section 3 Workers and Businesses. Below is information on M/WBE and Section 3, as well as how to apply for certification.

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M/WBE

Minority/Woman Business Enterprises

MWBE certification gives businesses advantages that otherwise might not have the ability to compete with bigger players. By giving these businesses access to development assistance, they’ll have more opportunities and resources at their disposal.

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This can help your business get government contracts that may not have been accessible before. If you have a catering company, for example, you might have the opportunity to cater a treasury lunch. If your company makes soap, you might be in the running to supply soap to a state office facility.

 

The benefits vary by state, but overall, MWBE certification gives businesses the ability to reach a broader network of customers, contracts, and resources.

 

Certified businesses are also added to the state’s list of MWBEs. This list is publicly accessible, so M/WBE's get greater visibility and exposure to other companies, also. If someone needs a graphic design agency for their website, and they want to work with an MWBE, they can find you on the list.

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Small business owners may also participate in conferences and networking events through the MWBE program. Additionally, some states offer development workshops, training, and courses to those businesses. The benefits vary by state, but overall, MWBE certification gives businesses the ability to reach a broader network of customers, contracts, and resources.

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Section 3

Section 3 Program

The purpose of Section 3 is to ensure that preference for employment, training and contracting opportunities generated from the expenditure of certain HUD funds is directed to local low and very low-income persons, particularly those who receive federal housing assistance, and businesses that are owned by or substantially employ such persons.

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A Section 3 business concern is a business that meets at least one of the following criteria, documented within the last six-month period:

  1. At least 51 percent owned and controlled by low- or very low-income persons;

  2. Over 75 percent of the labor hours performed for the business over the prior three-month period are performed by Section 3 workers; or

  3. A business at least 51 percent owned and controlled by current public housing residents or residents who currently live in Section 8-assisted housing.

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