CDBGs provide funds that enable low-income residents to remain in dignified housing, access economic opportunities, and experience a suitable living environment.

CDBGs can go to various projects, including economic development, infrastructure, and housing upkeep projects.

Charlottesville selected “Priority Neighborhoods” that are able to receive CDBG funding to limit geographic distribution of funds and try to direct them towards low-income neighborhoods.

However, there has been some gentrification in Charlottesville. We presented evidence of changes in income that highlights the need to rethink the boundaries of these designated “Priority Neighborhoods" to better distribute funds where they are meant to be - in the hands of poor people.

Some of the funding has been wasted on projects that residents didn’t ask for (e.g. unused dog park at a busy intersection that people can’t safely access). Other times, funds have gone to general infrastructure improvement - this could be done with other sections of the budget! We need to be strategic about this limited funding that is especially allocated for poor people.

We worked with the Public Housing Association of Residents to strategize how to prioritize the voices of low-income residents in decisions about CDBG allocation — to make sure funds go to projects that are actually beneficial and address needs of low-income residents.

We researched and came across the concept of participatory budgeting - basically, you get a say on where your tax dollars go! It prioritizes resident engagement and representative decision-making. Learn more here.

We presented our findings of need to (1) rethink the geographic distribution of funds and (2) reorganize the decision-making process to better represent the priorities of low-income residents.

We presented to: Public Housing Association of Residents (PHAR) advisory board, Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA), and Charlottesville City Council.

While we received great constructive feedback, Charlottesville city government has remained hesitant to change from long-standing systems. On the ground, however, UVA students and PHAR interns have been working with residents to better equip them to apply for available money.