DeLauro, Local Officials Urge Congress To Resist Changes to CDBG

DeLauro, Local Officials Urge Congress To Resist Changes to CDBG

- Program Faces Significant Changes Under Bush Administration -

MILFORD, CONN. - Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) today called on the U.S. Congress to resist changes to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program proposed in the president's budget. DeLauro appeared at the Good Shepherd Day Care Center - a program that has relied on CDBG funding for over 20 years for a variety of projects - with Milford Mayor Richetelli, West Haven Mayor Borer, and Stratford town manager Benjamin Branyan.

"The Community Development Block Grant program was created over thirty years ago to improve communities, provide decent housing and a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities, primarily for low- and moderate-income families," said DeLauro. "It is the single largest source of federal funding assistance supporting the community development and neighborhood revitalization activities of state and local governments."

Under the president's proposal, CDBG would be consolidated with 17 other programs and would see a sharp decrease in funding, causing states and localities to lose nearly $2 billion, a reduction of 35 percent. In the last year, CDBG has provided Connecticut's local and state governments with a total of $20.2 million for programs relating to housing, job training and urban renewal. The town of East Haven used CDBG funding to improve handicapped accessibility at its fire station. Naugatuck used it to build an addition to their youth services facility. Seymour made improvements to its senior center. The Good Shepherd Day Care has used CDBG for tools to enrich learning, cribs and highchairs, playground equipment, and to cover administrative costs.

"The programs funded under CDBG enrich our communities and improve the quality of life," said DeLauro. "Yet under the president's proposal, one of our community's most important sources of economic and community development funding has been seriously endangered. At a time when local governments are already struggling to deliver essential services to the most vulnerable in our society—when health care, nutrition and education programs are falling victim to this budget crunch—we should not be asking local governments to do more with less."

DeLauro, a member of the House Budget Committee, co-sponsored an amendment last month that would have restored $1.5 billion in funding to CDBG if it had passed committee.

http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2005/April/CDBG_04_18_05.html