Department of Planning and Development

Community Development Block Grants

Begun in 1974, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is one of the oldest programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The CDBG program provides annual grants on a formula basis to many different types of grantees through several programs such as Disaster Recovery Assistance, HUD Administered Small Cities, Entitlement Communities, and State Administered CDBG.

The basic goals of the CDBG program are:

A. To Provide Decent Housing:

1. Assist the homeless to obtain appropriate housing.
2. Assist those threatened with homelessness.
3. Retain the affordable housing stock.
4. Make available permanent housing that is affordable to low-income residents without discrimination.
5. Increase the supply of supportive housing for person with special needs.

B. To Provide a Suitable Living Environment:

1. Improve the safety and livability of neighborhoods.
2. Increase access to quality facilites and services.
3. Reduce isolation of income groups within an area through decentralization of housing opportunities and revitalization of deteriorating neighborhoods.
4. Restore and preserve properties of special value for historic, architectural or aesthetic reasons.
5. Conserve energy resources.

C. To Expand Economic Opportunity:

1. Create jobs accessible to low-income persons.
2. Provide access to capital and credit for development activities that promote the long-term economic and social viability of the community.
3. Establish, stabilize and expand small businesses.
4. Empower low-income persons to achieve self-sufficiency to reduce generations of poverty in federally assisted public housing.