Community development activities build stronger and more resilient communities through an ongoing process of identifying and addressing needs, assets, and priority investments. Community development activities may support infrastructure, economic development projects, installation of public facilities, community centers, housing rehabilitation, public services, clearance/acquisition, microenterprise assistance, code enforcement, homeowner assistance and many other identified needs. Federal support for community development encourages systematic and sustained action by State, and local governments. 

Individuals looking for assistance can:

• Find rental, homebuyer, and homeowner assistance
• Find resources for homeless persons, including, youth, veterans, and the chronically homeless
• Find help for victims of foreclosure, and Hurricane Sandy, and persons living with HIV/AIDS.

The Office of Block Grant Assistance administers funds allocated to State and local governments to address locally identified community development needs.

• CDBG Entitlement Program provides annual grants on a formula basis to entitled cities and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.
• CDBG State Program allows States to award grants to smaller units of general local government that develop and preserve decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create and retain jobs.
• CDBG HUD Administered Non-Entitled Counties in Hawaii Program provides annual grants on a formula basis to Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui counties to provide decent housing and a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.
• CDBG Insular Area Program provides grants to four designated insular areas: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to provide decent housing and a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunities, principally for low- and moderate-income persons.
• CDBG Program Colonias Set-Aside requires the border states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas to set aside a percentage of their annual State CDBG allocations for use in the Colonia to help meet the needs of the Colonias residents in relationship to the need for potable water, adequate sewer systems, or decent, safe and sanitary housing.
• Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program is the loan guarantee provision of the CDBG Program and provides communities with a source of financing for economic development, housing rehabilitation, public facilities, and large-scale physical development projects.
• CDBG Disaster Recovery Program provides flexible grants to help cities, counties, and States recover from Presidentially-declared disasters, especially in low-income areas, subject to availability of supplemental appropriations.
• The Neighborhood Stabilization Program provides grants to communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment to purchase and redevelop foreclosed and abandoned homes and residential properties.
• Brownfields Economic Development Initiative provides grants to assist cities with the redevelopment of abandoned, idled and underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion and redevelopment is burdened by real or potential environmental contamination.

The HUD Exchange provides a hub for the latest Community Development resources, updates, and information including, tools and templates, research, evaluations, best practices, guides, training manuals, as well as:

• Email Updates – To receive CPD communications about program policy, upcoming trainings, resources, reporting deadlines, technical assistance, and more, sign up on the HUD Exchange Mailing List.
• Training Opportunities – For information on upcoming events, self-paced online training, and recorded webinars, go to Training and Events.
• Grantee Information – To view amounts awarded to organizations under HUD programs over the past several years, go to CPD Allocations and Awards. To learn more about the agencies and organizations that have received funding, visit About Grantees.
• In-depth Advising – To learn about extended communication or long-term assistance available to CPD grantees, visit Technical Assistance.
• Assistance with Program or Reporting System Questions - If you have a question related to DRGR, IDIS, or NSP, submit your question and get a response through Ask A Question.

If you are an organization with a policy question related to Brownfields Economic Development Initiative, CDBG, or Section 108 Loan Guarantee, contact your local HUD Field Office for assistance.