The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program is a federal program that provides funding for housing and community development. In 1974, Congress passed the Housing and Community Development Act, Title I, which authorized the development of the CDBG Program. The program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), consists of two components: an entitlement program that provides funding directly from HUD; and a State CDBG Program, which funds smaller communities that are non-entitilement communities, and is administered in New York State by the Office of Community Renewal (OCR).
As set forth in the Federal Housing and Community Development Act, there are several objectives of the CDBG Program, with the primary objective being the development of viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and expanding opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income.
The CDBG program receives an annual allocation of funds from HUD, which OCR distributes to eligible non-entitlement communities through various types of grants. In accordance with New York State’s 2001-2005 Consolidated Plan and its 2004 Action Plan, CDBG funds will provide small communities and counties in New York State with a great opportunity to propose activities that focus on creating or expanding job opportunities, addressing housing needs, or meeting local public facilities needs.
