Quick answer: Yes, CDBG public services job training is an eligible use of federal Community Development Block Grant funds. HUD's rules list employment among eligible public services, as long as the service is new or a measurable increase and most people served are low- or moderate-income. Public services are capped at 15% of a grant. In San Bernardino County, larger cities receive CDBG directly from HUD, while 13 smaller cities share funds through the County's Urban County program.
What CDBG Public Services Job Training Means
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) is a HUD program that sends annual funding to cities and counties. Most of it pays for housing, infrastructure and facilities. A smaller share can pay for public services that directly serve residents.
Under federal regulation 24 CFR 570.201(e), eligible public services include those concerned with employment, crime prevention, child care, health, education, fair housing counseling and recreation, among others. Job training and youth workforce programs fit within this list.
The Rules City Staff Should Know
The 15% public services cap
The regulation states that CDBG funds used for public services "shall not exceed 15 percent of each grant." For entitlement grantees, the cap is 15% of the grant plus 15% of program income. A HUD memorandum on the cap explains that compliance is measured by obligations made in each program year, and unused room under the cap does not carry over to the next year.
New or increased service
A public service must be either a new service or a quantifiable increase in the level of an existing service, compared with the 12 months before the action plan is submitted. A new training cohort, or added seats in an existing one, is the kind of activity that can meet this test.
Low- and moderate-income benefit
Every CDBG activity must meet a national objective. For public services, that is usually benefit to low- and moderate-income people. The County of San Bernardino's CDBG notice of funding availability puts it plainly: at least 51% of beneficiaries must be low- or moderate-income, or the project must serve a qualifying area.
How CDBG Works in San Bernardino County Cities
Cities that receive CDBG directly
Larger cities receive CDBG directly from HUD and adopt their own consolidated plans and annual action plans. Examples include San Bernardino, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and Victorville. Rancho Cucamonga reported receiving $1,045,705 in CDBG for 2025–2026, and Victorville anticipated $1,373,412, according to city documents. Fontana expected about $1.9 million in CDBG for 2025–2026, and its draft Consolidated Plan listed "offering public services to low-income residents" among five priorities, according to the Fontana Herald News.
Cities in the County's Urban County program
Smaller cities join the County of San Bernardino's Urban County program, run by the Community Development and Housing Department. The County lists 13 participating cities: Adelanto, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Needles, Redlands, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa and the Town of Yucca Valley.
The County's 2026–2027 CDBG notice set out several useful details:
- Total funding was about $4.3 million: roughly $2 million for unincorporated areas and $2.3 million for participating cities, by HUD formula.
- Cities with allocations over $100,000 may spend no more than 15% on public services. Big Bear Lake, Grand Terrace and Needles are not subject to that cap but may fund up to three projects in total.
- Nonprofits may apply to use participating city funds for services, but not the unincorporated-area funds.
- Public service activities ran on a 10-month operating period. The application window was October 10 to November 14, 2025.
Cycles repeat yearly, so watch the County's Current Funding Opportunities page and each direct-grantee city's action plan calendar.
Why Job Training Is a Strong Public Service Choice
The need is clear in Census data. In the City of San Bernardino, 18.6% of residents live in poverty and 13.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. In Adelanto, 7.7% hold a bachelor's degree and 17.2% live in poverty. Training that leads to a better job helps a household for years.
Youth services matter too. Fourteen local teenagers have died of fentanyl overdoses since 2021, according to the California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard as reported by Community Forward Redlands. Youth prevention programs fit the education, health and crime prevention categories CDBG lists.
What The Ayangbah Foundation Offers CDBG Public Services Job Training Programs
The Ayangbah Foundation (EIN 33-4528503) is a 501(c)(3) in downtown San Bernardino. It is registered in SAM.gov (UEI PCHNA3S8NBV4, CAGE 249H1) and is an approved work-experience worksite for the San Bernardino County Workforce Development Department. It has hosted and mentored 10 interns so far. A city could consider funding:
- A city-specific cohort of the 40-hour Career Readiness & Entrepreneurship Employment Training certificate ($1,200 per participant), delivered in person and live online so residents anywhere in the city can attend.
- Computer skills seats in Excel or QuickBooks (12 hours; $297 each).
- Free youth workshops: the Saturday Future Leaders Academy and fentanyl awareness and naloxone training for ages 12 to 26.
We are prepared to work with city staff on the participant eligibility records and reporting a subrecipient agreement requires. See our transparency page. For other public funding streams, see who funds workforce development.
FAQ
Can CDBG funds be used for job training?
Yes. HUD's regulation at 24 CFR 570.201(e) lists employment among eligible public services. The service must be new or a measurable increase, and it must mainly benefit low- and moderate-income people.
What is the CDBG public services cap?
Public services may not exceed 15% of a CDBG grant. For entitlement grantees, the cap is 15% of the grant plus 15% of program income, measured by obligations each program year.
Which cities are in the San Bernardino County Urban County CDBG program?
Adelanto, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Montclair, Needles, Redlands, Twentynine Palms, Yucaipa and the Town of Yucca Valley, per the County's Community Development and Housing Department.
Can a nonprofit apply for CDBG public services funding in San Bernardino County?
Yes. Under the County's 2026–2027 notice, nonprofits could apply to use participating city funds for services. Direct-grantee cities run their own application cycles.
Does CDBG fund youth programs?
CDBG public services can include education, health, recreation and crime prevention, so youth programs can qualify if they meet the low- and moderate-income benefit rules.
Ways to Partner
Planning next year's action plan? We would welcome a conversation about a training or youth program for your residents.
- Fund a program: see what a cohort includes.
- Start a partnership: tell us about your city's priorities.
- Give online to support training and prevention.
- See our impact and how we report it.
Or call us at (909) 454-7076.
Sources: 24 CFR 570.201(e), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; HUD Office of Community Planning and Development, CDBG Memorandum, "Cap on Public Service Obligations"; County of San Bernardino Community Development and Housing Department, Community Development Block Grant page and 2026–2027 CDBG Notice of Funding Availability; Fontana Herald News, "Fontana adopts HUD grants action plan" (2025); City of Upland, CDBG page; City of Rancho Cucamonga, draft 2025–26 CDBG CAPER; City of Victorville, 2025–26 CPD funding document; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (San Bernardino, Adelanto); California Overdose Surveillance Dashboard via Community Forward Redlands.