Community Development Block Grants

How Federal Policy Can Support More Affordable Housing in Exclusionary Communities
The recently funded “Yes In My Back Yard” federal grant program provides support for local and state governments to implement housing policy reforms, but it doesn’t go far enough to undo the exclusionary practices of wealthy communities.

Updated: $2 Trillion Federal Stimulus Includes Billions for Transit, Housing
The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.

The Federal YIMBY Act Makes Progress in the House
A federal bill intended to increase transparency in land use and zoning decisions as well as encourage localities to eliminate barriers to housing has advanced out of a House of Representative committee.

'Yes in My Back Yard Act' Introduced in the U.S. Senate
U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) has introduced a new law that picks sides in the housing debate, though the law is unlikely to produce structural change in the development process the near future.

CDBG Funds Not Useful Focus for Zoning Reform
Linking zoning reform mandates to CDBG funding is not an effective way to change exclusionary zoning.

Buying Flood-Prone Houses an Expensive Proposition in Texas
Harris County has a home buyout program, designed to reduce the amount of residents living in flood-prone homes. But when it comes to home buyouts, a lot of money goes a little way.

$1.3 Trillion Federal Spending Bill Approved—Good News for Transit and Community Development Programs
It was touch and go there for a little bit today, but in the end President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that spares many transit and community development programs.

HUD Cuts Red Tape to Support Hurricane Recovery
Administrative changes announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will impact programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

HUD: 'Worst Case Housing Needs' Only Getting Worse
The 2017 "Worst Case Housing Needs" report paints a dire picture of the nation's low-income housing options, as the Trump Administration proposes drastic cuts to federal housing programs.

Affordable Housing Lacking in Every State
A recent report from the Urban Institute warns of potentially expanding catastrophe for affordable housing around the country.
Report: Reform, Don't Eliminate, the Community Development Block Grant Program
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is under the microscope. As the Trump Administration considers eliminating the program, the Urban Institute recommends a less-is-more approach.

Where Community Development Block Grants Money Goes
A Forbes contributor provides analysis of how much states stand to lose if the Trump Administration succeeds in cutting funding for the Community Development Block Grants program.
A Defense of HUD's Grant Funding
Next City explores the possible consequences of reported desire by the Trump Administration to cut $6 billion from the budget of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Trump Administration Budget Draft Could Cut HUD Budget, Planning Grants, More
The Washington Post has a big scoop about the early draft of the Trump Administration's budget for the Department of Housing Urban Development.
Planning Programs to Watch in the Federal Omnibus Spending Bill
Congress is on pace to wrap up a major piece of federal legislation before leaving for recess.
HUD Grants $24 Million for Community Development Pool in North St. Louis
The federal government offered to $24 million to create a loan pool in struggling areas of North St. Louis County—most infamously displayed to the country over the past year in the intense racial conflicts centering around Ferguson.
The Risks and Conflicts of Interest in San Diego's Proposed Redevelopment Scheme
Before San Diego adopts a proposal to continue redevelopment using profit-based concepts, it should pause to consider the perils, argues Murtaza H. Baxamusa, an affordable housing developer and planning professor.
House Backs Away from Draconian Transportation and Housing Spending Cuts
A controversial House bill that proposed drastic spending cuts to Transportation and Housing programs was pulled from the floor yesterday after Republicans balked at supporting the cuts outlined in Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget.
Transportation and HUD Cuts Stake out Front Lines for Impending Budget Battle
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and HUD has proposed drastic cuts to Community Development Block Grants and eliminating funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and TIGER. The cuts presage coming budget battles.
New Report Paints a Dire Picture of Metropolitain Unemployment
A new report released Wednesday, to coincide with a U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering in Washington D.C., finds that only 26 of the nation’s 363 metropolitan areas had recovered the jobs lost during the recession by the end of last year.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research