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Contact: Cody Allred
Idaho Commerce
208.334.2470
cody.allred@commerce.idaho.gov

Idaho Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Celebrates 50 Years of Building Strong Communities

BOISE, Idaho (August 5, 2024) — This month, the Idaho Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program celebrates its 50th anniversary – a milestone marked by fostering and supporting growth in Idaho’s communities.

Since it was signed into law on August 22, 1974, the State’s CDBG program’s impact in Idaho cannot be understated. Throughout the program’s lifespan, it has awarded over $370,000,000 to Idaho communities, funding over 1,000 projects.

These amounts represent grants distributed by Idaho Commerce and does not include funds distributed by entitlement cities or counties. State CDBG funds are administered by the Idaho Department of Commerce and received annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Many communities in Idaho benefit from annual CDBG funding. Projects completed by the program include construction and improvements to critical public facilities and infrastructure, downtown revitalization, disaster recovery, rehabilitation of public parks and senior centers, acquisition of fire engines and expansion of public infrastructure for job creation.  

CDBG funds are used to provide improvements and services to Idaho cities and communities and provide a better quality of life. One of CDBG’s greatest strengths is its ability to leverage other investments as the funds are often combined with other federal and local resources.  

“Over the past 50 years, the CDBG program has provided funding for essential public infrastructure in communities across Idaho,” Idaho Commerce Director Tom Kealey said. “We look forward to our Idaho program continuing to have major impact for years to come.” 

As Idaho Commerce celebrates the countless successes of CDBG in Idaho over the past 50 years, we want to thank our local officials, contractors, design professionals and grant administrators for the important work they do to bring grant funding opportunities to underserved communities throughout our state.

Idaho Commerce looks forward to continuing the work accomplished by the CDBG program and working with local leaders and partners to build strong, resilient communities that will thrive for generations to come.

Join us in celebrating this influential program throughout the month of August. Follow along as we share stories of past projects on our website and social media. Learn more about the 50th celebration of the CDBG program here.

All CDBG grant awards are reviewed and recommended by the Economic Advisory Council (EAC), and final approval is granted by the Governor.

Learn more about the CDBG program here.

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Posted in Business, Communities