CDBG Objectives and Activities

The following provides an overview of the CDBG program and the types of activities, projects, and programs that can receive funding. This information may not address every regulation, issue, and circumstance, therefore individuals and communities are encouraged to contact the Community Development office for additional information and answers to your questions.

View a printable PDF version of this information.

National Objectives

All CDBG-funded activities must meet one of the "national objectives" of the program:

  • Providing benefit to low- or moderate-income persons (either on an area-wide, direct benefit, or limited clientele basis)
  • Preventing or eliminating slum or blight conditions
  • Addressing an urgent need

Eligible Activities

  • Downtown Revitalization: projects that focus on the village center or downtown of community. These projects may incorporate public facilities or infrastructure improvements, façade improvement loan/grant programs, the provision of public services, housing rehabilitation or other activities. The project may be a single activity or a holistic approach.
  • Public Facilities & Public Infrastructure: the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or installation of public improvements or facilities. Except for handicap accessibility improvements, CDBG funds cannot be used for buildings meant for the general conduct of government, such as town offices. Eligible examples include streets, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, water and sewer lines, senior centers, community buildings, and handicap accessibility.
  • Housing: common projects include rehabilitation, weatherization, and energy efficiency upgrades of housing occupied by low/moderate income persons
  • Economic Development: These activities must result in the creation or retention of jobs for low-moderate income individuals in order to qualify for funding. Examples of eligible activities include:
    • The construction, rehabilitation, or installation of commercial buildings and other real property equipment and improvements
    • Assistance to private for profit entities in the form of grants, loans, loan guarantees, or technical assistance
      • A loan program targeted to micro-enterprises
  • Planning: examples include studies, analysis, data gathering, and preparation of plans and action steps to implement plans. These plans could be for individual projects, community development plans, neighborhood plans, environmental or historic preservation studies, or other similar activities. No documentation of a national objective is required for these activities.
  • Public Services: examples of eligible public service activities include operating, equipment and program material expenses for: Child care, Drug abuse counseling and treatment, Educational programs, Energy counseling and testing, Fair housing, Health care, Homeless services, Job training, Public safety services, Recreation programs, Senior citizen services, etc.. The service must be either:
  1. Available to all the residents in a particular primarily residential area, and at least 51% of those residents are low- or moderate-income persons
  2. Limited to a specific group of people, at least 51% of whom are low/moderate income persons.
  3. Serve one of these groups: Abused children, Battered spouses, Elderly persons, Homeless persons, Illiterate adults, Migrant farm workers, Persons living with HIV/AIDS, Severely disabled adults