Cleaver Questions Hud Secretary Jackson During Testimony Before House Financial Services Committee

CLEAVER QUESTIONS HUD SECRETARY JACKSON DURING TESTIMONY BEFORE HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

March 30, 2006

(Washington, DC)—Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II questioned Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson during testimony today to the House Financial Services Committee. The hearing focused on oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) including the Department's budget request for Fiscal Year 2007.

"I grew up in public housing," Cleaver said, "and the fact that the Financial Services Committee has oversight over public housing, through HUD, is part of the reason I sought to be appointed to the Committee. I know first-hand the affect HUD has on people's lives everyday. When I was Mayor of Kansas City, we used HUD grants extensively to help revitalize parts of the city, and I know all of the cities in the Fifth District use resources provided by HUD to build their communities."

"This is why cuts in HUD's budget are particularly troubling to me. The communities in my district rely on HUD to improve public housing, revitalize their downtowns, increase home ownership rates and provide faith-based services to those most in need. I am not just worried about the affect the cuts will have in Missouri's Fifth District, but elsewhere as the importance of a federal role in housing and community development has been magnified by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. With over one million Americans affected by an emergency housing and community crisis in the Gulf Coast region, the federal government's response, as well as coordination with local and state governments, non-profit and faith-based organizations will continue to be critical."

Last year, Congressman Cleaver joined with Mayors from across the Midwest region in vocal opposition to the Administration's ill-fated proposal to move the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) over to the Department of Commerce. In this year's budget, the Administration proposes decreasing CDBG funding levels by $1.15 billion, nearly 40 percent. "We must provide the tools our communities need to bolster their economies and support their residents. Decreasing funding levels of programs like CDBG, one of the most valuable and effective resources for municipal leaders, is simply reckless and irresponsible policy," said Cleaver. "Understand that the CDBG program leverages three dollars of private investment for every single program dollar spent."

During the hearing, Congressman Cleaver also pushed Secretary Jackson to defend the cuts to housing programs for our most vulnerable. "I am astonished that the Secretary would recommend to the President cuts in housing programs for the elderly and people with disabilities. The need continues to grow; our population is not getting younger."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mo05_cleaver/SecretaryJacksonQuestioning.html