Where Community Development Block Grants Money Goes

Erik Sherman reports on the potential impact to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program should cuts proposed by the Trump Administration's budget "blueprint" gain approval.

While much of the social media outcry following the budget announcement focused on concern for Meals on Wheels programs (concerns Sherman says were misplaced in a separate article), the underreported consequence of cuts to CDBG could impact every state in the country.

CDBG is a series of block grants made to states and municipalities. Local organizations parcel out the funds, which are integral to the operation of many community-based non-profits. They include local groups that provide meals to seniors, daycare centers for people of low income (many local Head Start programs, for example), network revitalization, economic development, infrastructure and public services, and more. Is there waste? Perhaps. Is there good done? From what I've seen, yes.

Sherman does his own analysis (in lieu of the Trump Administration undertaking the same effort) to figure out the total grants made to entities in each state, and calculated the CDBG funding per capita in each. A few findings from those results: cuts to the CDBG program would affect populous states the most.