Hearing of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Urban Development Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee - Opening Statement of Sen. Coons, Hearing on Review of the FY2018 Budget Request for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development

Hearing

Mr. Secretary, I cannot convey how deep my disappointment is with HUD's budget proposal this year.

As someone who spent 10 years in county government first as a County Council president and then as County Executive, I have personal hands on experience in the impact that programs like CDBG and HOME funding can have to help severely disabled, disadvantaged, vulnerable populations all over the country. Senior citizens, those with disabilities, veterans seeking housing.

I'm really stunned at how broadly the deep cuts proposed in this budget would affect vulnerable populations in this country.

I know firsthand how CDBG and HOME works and I've seen its impact. I was struck that you suggested somewhat casually that, although well-intentioned at its outset, CDBG has been used for things like flowers alongside highways or spay and neuter clinics when, on HUD's own website, the 2016 performance report on CDBG says that it created 18,000 jobs, supported 50,000 single family rehab projects, and served 200,000 seniors.

Yet, in your testimony you say the CDBG program hasn't demonstrated a measurable impact on communities. It seems to me, I could spend the rest of the afternoon giving you concrete and specific examples of how CDBG and HOME have been used in my home county, in my state, and across the country, and on HUD's own website, it has been demonstrated to have an impact that advances HUD's core mission.

What's the problem? Where is this tension between your testimony that there's a lack of measurable impact and my personal experience and HUD's documented experience that it's had a significant, constructive, and positive impact across this country?

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