link to page 1 
January 29, 2021
The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG)
Program: An Overview
The Indian Community Development Block Grant
Program Features
(ICDBG) program is a tribal economic development and
The ICDBG program provides both competitive and
assistance program administered by the Department of
noncompetitive grants to federally-recognized Indian tribes
Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Native
and Alaskan Native villages to support the development of
American Programs. Although its name may suggest an
housing, suitable living environments, and economic
association with the Community Development Block Grant
opportunities. Like CDBG, program funds are required to
(CDBG) program, the ICDBG program operates
principally benefit low-and-moderate-income persons.
distinctively from CDBG. This In Focus provides an
overview of the ICDBG program’s structure and program
Despite its name, the ICDBG program is administered
elements, and potential policy considerations for Congress.
separately from CDBG, though they share authorizing
legislation and similar community development goals.
ICDBG Structure and Administration
Unlike the conventional CDBG program, which is sub-
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
divided into entitlement communities and state programs
(HUD) is among the largest sources of federal community
under which sub-awards are administered, ICDBG
and economic development funding, primarily through the
functions as a single program with two principal grant
CDBG program. Similarly, the ICDBG program provides
types. Grants are awarded in two categories:
significant funding to federally-recognized tribal nations
and Alaska Native villages to address community and
Single Purpose competitive grants for community and
economic development needs, as well as “imminent threats”
economic development needs, which may make up as
to community health or safety. Like the CDBG program,
much as 95% of ICDBG funds; and
the ICDBG program derives its authority under Title I of
the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42
Imminent Threat grants, which are allocated on a
U.S.C. §5301 et seq.).
noncompetitive basis as available to eliminate or
mitigate issues posing an imminent threat to the public
Recent Appropriations
health or safety of tribal residents.
By statute, the ICDBG program receives a one percent set-
aside of Title I CDBG appropriations, excluding amounts
Eligible entities may apply through an annual Notice of
for use under Section 107. In practice, Congress has
Funding Availability (NOFA). For FY2018, HUD funded
enacted larger appropriations separately for ICDBG,
$63 million in ICDBG awards to 85 tribal communities
exceeding the one percent set-aside. For FY2021, the
(111 communities were awarded in a combined FY2019
ICDBG received $70 million in funding (or approximately
and FY2020 announcement). Single Purpose grants support
2%). Table 1 shows ICDBG appropriations from FY2017
projects in three broad categories: (1) housing, including
to FY2021.
construction and land acquisition; (2) community facilities,
such as basic infrastructure and community buildings; and
Table 1. ICDBG Appropriations
(3) economic development, including a variety of
FY2017 to FY2021
commercial, industrial, and agricultural projects owned and
operated by the grantee, or a third party.
Fiscal Year
ICDBG
CDBG
Public Law
Funding Allocations
2017
$60.0 mil ion
$3.1 bil ion
P.L. 115-31
Appropriated funding is administered by HUD’s Office of
2018
$65.0 mil ion
$3.4 bil ion
P.L. 115-141
Native American Programs (ONAP), which allocates
ICDBG funding to six area ONAPs, each with specific
2019
$65.0 mil ion
$3.4 bil ion
P.L. 116-6
geographic jurisdictions. Each area ONAP is allocated a
2020
$70.0 mil ion
$3.4 bil ion
P.L. 116-94
base amount of $1 million and ICDBG program funds (24
C.F.R. §1003.101) based on the following formula:
2021
$70.0 mil ion
$3.5 bil ion
P.L. 116-260
Source: Tabulated by CRS from appropriations legislation.
40% based on each area ONAP’s share of the total
Notes: The “CDBG” column provides the base number from which
eligible Indian population;
the 1% set-aside would be calculated.
40% based on each area ONAP’s share of the total
poverty among the eligible Indian population; and
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program: An Overview
20% based on each area ONAP’s share of the total
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the
extent of overcrowded housing among the eligible
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)
Indian population.
Act (P.L. 116-136) appropriated $300 million for HUD’s
Native American Programs account, of which one-third, or
Each area ONAP uses its allocation to award grants to
$100 million, was set-aside for the ICDBG program, in
eligible entities in its jurisdiction. The six area ONAPs are:
what became known as ICDBG-CARES. This funding was
primarily allocated to the noncompetitive Imminent Threats
Alaska (serving the State of Alaska);
grant program to address community and economic impacts
of the pandemic.
Eastern Woodlands (Alabama, Connecticut, Florida,
Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota,
Previously, ICDBG also received supplemental allocations
Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Rhode Island,
in response to the 2008 financial crisis. The American
South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin);
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5)
appropriated $1 billion in supplemental funds to the CDBG
Northern Plains (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,
program account, of which $10 million was set aside (per
Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming);
the 1% set-aside) for ICDBG. According to the NOFA,
ICDBG Recovery funds were only available to tribal
Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington);
organizations that received ICDBG Single Purpose grants
in FY2008.
Southern Plains (Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri,
Oklahoma, and Texas); and
Policy Considerations
HUD’s ICDBG program is sometimes compared to the
Southwest (Arizona, California, New Mexico, and
larger Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program, which
Nevada).
received $646 million for formula grants for all 570+
federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native villages, and
The ONAP headquarters and the ONAP in Hawaii are not
$100 million for competitive grants in FY2021. The Trump
allocated ICDBG funds for distribution. Native Hawaiian
Administration considered the IHBG and ICDBG programs
communities are not eligible for ICDBG funding. Hawaii’s
to be duplicative and requested no funds for ICDBG in its
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands receives dedicated
FY2021 budget. However, the IHBG is more narrowly
funding for housing activities through HUD’s Native
focused on housing, and does not allow for the breadth of
Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program.
projects potentially fundable under ICDBG (For more
information on IHBG and related programs, see CRS
Table 2 shows recent area ONAP allocations.
Report R43307, The Native American Housing Assistance
and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA):
Table 2. Area ONAP Allocations
Background and Funding, by Katie Jones.)
FY2018 to FY2020 (Dol ars in Mil ions)
To provide greater tribal economic development resources,
ONAP
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020
Congress may consider reforming the ICDBG program to
more closely resemble IHBG or its CDBG namesake by
Alaska
$7.85
$7.89
$8.86
providing more substantial and regular formula funding to
Eastern
$4.95
$5.03
$5.42
eligible tribes and organizations. Despite its name, the
Woodlands
ICDBG program is not a categorical block grant program.
As such, tribes and other eligible applicants cannot depend
Northern
$9.51
$9.26
$10.40
on ICDBG as a consistent source of community and
Plains
economic development funding. As a block grant, grantees
Northwest
$3.35
$3.38
$3.71
would have greater flexibility to address community and
economic development priorities, and could also use
Southern
$15.01
$14.87
$16.82
anticipated long-term formula funding to finance larger,
Plains
more strategic projects through commercial or nonprofit
Southwest
$21.75
$21.07
$23.90
lenders, or through a program like HUD’s Section 108 loan
program. Increased funding could also broaden the pool of
Source: Tabulated by CRS from HUD data.
grantees without affecting funding levels for frequent users
Notes: FY2017 al ocations were not publicized because of
of the ICDBG program. Alternatively, ICDBG could be
appropriations delays. FY2021 al ocations have not yet been released.
subsumed within the larger IHBG program, but with
increased flexibilities for non-housing community and
ICDBG Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
economic development uses, including imminent threats.
Following an emergency, disaster, or other major
contingency, Congress has sometimes enacted supplemental
Michael H. Cecire, Analyst in Intergovernmental Relations
appropriations to the ICDBG program to provide additional
and Economic Development Policy
assistance to ICDBG-eligible entities. Indian communities
are also often eligible for supplemental CDBG funding for
IF11749
disaster recovery (CDBG-DR).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) Program: An Overview
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11749 · VERSION 1 · NEW