Objectives needs criteria adopted by local housing and community development administrators are typically not direct measures of urban blight; rather they are labels for disadvantaged circumstances assumed to be associated with adverse living conditions. This case study of Portland, Oregon, addresses the question of whether such criteria (1) document the actual presence of blighting problems, and (2) can be identified in spatial concentrations for the purpose of geographical targeting. The results of hypothesis tests, correlations, and factor analysis show strong positive relationships among most but not all locally adopted criteria. Findings support the conclusion that the principal benefits test and neighborhood strategy area concept, both integral to the original CDBG program, are still valid.