Startup USA Guide
Part B · Startup-relevant scheme

HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program (Section 108)

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Loan / Credit Growth / Scaling

Section 108 lets Community Development Block Grant recipients pledge future CDBG allocations to back a HUD-guaranteed loan, most commonly used for economic-development projects that create or retain jobs.

Type of support
Loan / Credit
Best suited for
Growth
Headline amount
Up to 5x the jurisdiction's annual CDBG grant
How much
Varies by jurisdiction's CDBG allocation

Objectives

Give distressed communities access to large-scale, low-cost financing for business and infrastructure projects that wouldn't otherwise pencil out, backed by the federal government's credit.

Who can apply?

  • Applicants are CDBG-entitlement cities/counties (or states on a locality's behalf), not individual businesses directly.
  • A business benefits by being the beneficiary of a city/county-sponsored Section 108 economic-development loan.

What do you get?

  • Borrowing capacity up to 5x the jurisdiction's annual CDBG grant.
  • Used for business expansion/retention, public facilities, infrastructure, and housing rehab.
  • Federal guarantee lowers the effective borrowing cost.

How to apply

Businesses don't apply to HUD directly — approach your city or county's community/economic development department about an active or potential Section 108-backed loan program.

Go to official portal