Atlanta, Ga (October 15, 2024) – The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. 

Since the program’s creation in 1974, Georgia communities have awarded 4,229 CDBG awards, providing more than $1.7 billion. These funds have been used to finance critical and unmet community needs, including housing rehabilitation, public facilities, food banks and pantries, job creation, and more.

Overall, these efforts have benefited over 2.3 million individuals, with over 80 percent of them being low- to moderate-income residents. Notably, by assisting 361 for-profit businesses, we have created 39,483 jobs and retained 3,728 jobs, bolstering our local economies.

“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.”

DCA hosts an annual competition in which communities are selected to receive Community Development Block Grants to fund local areas of need. Past winners include the City of Washington, which used the funding to rehabilitate the Rusher Street neighborhood, which had been plagued by pervasive poverty, and substandard, abandoned, dilapidated houses. Using CDBG, the City of Washington developed 21 owner-occupied units, designed a new street and alley layout, installed new water and sewer lines, and more. The result was a complete revitalization of this neighborhood for its inhabitants.

2024 marks 50 years of Community Development Block Grants and its investment of resources into the Georgia communities who have needed it the most. To learn more about CDBG and DCA’s annual competition, click here.