Community Development Block Grant

The City of Seattle’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program channels between $12 million and $13 million annually in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) via the City of Seattle to various programs that help low- and moderate-income Seattle individuals, families and communities.

The funding comes to the City’s CDBG program office, in the Human Services Department, and is distributed to the Office of Economic Development, Office of Housing and community-based social service agencies to help pay for various programs and projects. CDBG staff also ensures compliance with federal regulations, monitors national developments affecting CDBG funding, and represents the City to HUD.

About one-third of the CDBG money that comes to Seattle each year is used to support programs that provide emergency shelter and transitional housing to homeless individuals and families. Another third supports economic and community development programs in southeast Seattle and is funneled through the Rainier Valley Community Development Fund. The final third is used to build and preserve affordable housing, provide home repairs for low-income residents, and improve buildings used by social service agencies to run their programs.

Overview of City’s CDBG-funded programs

The Community Development Block Grant program is governed by the policies and strategies outlined in Seattle’s Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development