Relations With Other Programs
The CDBG shares some features of the Urban Development Action Grants (UDAG). UDAG, along with urban renewal and other previous Federal attempts to alleviate poverty and blight in US cities, was criticized as being a "top-down" approach. For these programs, Federal planners would dictate how and where funds were spent. In contrast, CDBG was constructed to be a "bottom-up" approach.
In order to receive CDBG funds, applicants must identify urgent needs of the community, and solicit project ideas and plans from citizens and local organizations that address those needs. Thus, the CDBG program represents a significant shift in how the federal government addresses poverty and blight. Some researchers argue that because CDBG is a bottom-up program it is significantly more successful than previous programs. Others have said CDBG's scope of allowed activities is too broad, making it difficult to measure program performance.
Read more about this topic: Community Development Block Grant
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