The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which makes funds available to local governments. The City of Jackson became an entitlement community and started receiving funds.

The Development Assistance Division of the Office of Housing and Community Development administers the City's CDBG program. The Division is responsible for ensuring the funds are used to improve the living environment, quality of life and housing opportunities for low and moderate-income citizens.

Other CDBG projects are carried out through partnerships with local business and non-profit service providers. Since the City became a CDBG entitlement community, the City and its partners are using CDBG funds for roadway paving and paying paving assessments, for housing rehabilitation, to provide prescription assistance, to improve community centers, sidewalks and parks, and to construct ADA-accessible restrooms and entrances in public buildings.

The programs are intended to assist low and moderate income neighborhoods improve their quality of life and is community-driven.  Each year interested community groups may apply for grants to construct or improve neighborhood facilities.  At the same time, the City assists the successful and not-so-successful applicants to build capacity, to access other resources to meet their particular needs, and serves as a liaison with other agencies.

Every five years, all CDBG grantees are required to prepare a Consolidated Plan outlining strategies for use of CDBG funds over the next five years. Additionally, each year during the planning period, grantees must draft a One-Year Action Plan explaining how the jurisdiction intends to implement that year’s increment of the Consolidated Plan. At the end of each fiscal year, grantees are required to compile a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report(CAPER) describing the jurisdiction’s progress in carrying out the Action Plan covering the reporting period.