This year marks fifty years for the Community Development Block Grant program, perhaps the signature initiative of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) is one of the longest-running programs of HUD, enacted by newly-sworn in President Gerald Ford in 1974, just a few months after former President Richard Nixon had resigned. It has awarded 4,229 grants, providing more than $1.7 billion for critical and unmet community needs, including housing rehabilitation, public facilities, food banks, support for businesses and more.
“Community Development Block Grants allow communities to address their critical needs,” said DCA Commissioner Christopher Nunn. “These accomplishments are a testament to the power of collaboration and commitment to community development. Together, we have made a significant difference in the lives of many Georgians, paving the way for a brighter and more equitable future.”
More than 2.3 million individuals have been directly impacted by these grants, with more than 80 percent being low or moderate-income residents. Nearly 400 businesses have received some CDBG support, helping to create more than 39,000 jobs and retaining another 3,700.
President Ford’s support for the program was born from his belief that the program could improve federal dollars effectiveness “replacing Federal judgments on local development with the judgments of the people who live and work there.” Democrats supported the bill because its goal was to address poverty and urban blight and Republican legislators supported it for the same reasons Ford did, putting federal funds in the hands of local government and business leaders.
“These grants are vitally important for revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing aging infrastructure throughout Georgia,” said DCA Director of Community Finance Kimberly Carter. “It’s crucial that these local governments have every opportunity to thrive, and Community Development Block Grants are one of those tools.”
There is a competitive application process for the grants, with applications scored and ranked. This year’s Georgia grants went to 36 communities and awarded more than $33 million. Nearly $25 million of that went to projects categorized as infrastructure, $6.8 million went to housing projects and $2 million in various building projects. Many of those infrastructure projects were water and sewer related, something that often sits on maintenance backlog for cities that have more immediate spending priorities.
The City of Arlington, Baldwin County, the City of Boston and the City of Camilla were all using their roughly $1 million grants each for sewer and water projects along city streets and in lower-income neighborhoods. Additionally, the grants are limited to smaller size cities, no Atlantas or Macons or Augustas here. Waynesboro, Reidsville and Warrenton are three others that received grants this year – populations of 5,400, 2,500 and 1,700 respectively.
“These grants are vitally important for revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing aging infrastructure throughout Georgia,” said DCA Director of Community Finance Kimberly Carter. “It’s crucial that these local governments have every opportunity to thrive, and Community Development Block Grants are one of those tools.”
