Additional Program Notes & TCS Insights

CDBG-DR was first created in response to Hurricane Andrew and other disasters in 1992. CDBG-DR is not a permanently authorized program; it is authorized through various post-disaster supplemental appropriations. This is an important distinction from the longstanding regular CDBG, which primarily assists with housing, infrastructure, and community development needs without special deference to issues arising from natural disasters. CDBG-DR funding is often used for long-term rebuilding efforts, rather than short-term relief costs covered by FEMA and the Small Business Authority (SBA). Lacking statutory authorization, CDBG-DR is enacted by the whims of each Congress’s authorizing language and the then-current Administration’s implementing Federal Register notices.