Fiscal Note
This resolution does not commit any funds; the likely effect of the Federal Executive 2005 Budget proposal is to reduce the HUD annual grant amount to the City of Madison by some $2.4 million per year starting in 2006, with little chance for Madison to obtain replacement funds through a new and shrunken Commerce program.
Title
Petitioning Congress and the President to retain the CDBG program in its current format, so that local governments can continue to effectively benefit lower income persons, create housing and economic opportunities, and strengthen neighborhoods.
Body
WHEREAS the Federal Executive 2006 budget proposes to cut the national CDBG program by about 40%, move the remaining funds to the Federal Department of Commerce, and merge it with some seventeen other programs from several other departments into a challenge program of two components, one targeted to cities with very high poverty and one focused into a discretionary competitive program.
WHEREAS the White House says that the rationale for this change is that the move will help CDBG and the other transferred programs merge into a more focused approach on private business development, the new approach appears to virtually eliminate an emphasis on community-based economic development or longer term sustained efforts in community development,
WHEREAS the proposed program will likely reduce the role of neighborhoods and community-based groups if merged with other programs in the new Department of Commerce challenge fund,
WHEREAS the proposed program will restrict Madison's access to funds to address community development issues in higher need neighborhoods,
WHEREAS the CDBG program has worked effectively at the Federal level for 30 years to combine national goals of benefit to low and moderate income persons with local flexibility to address those goals in a comprehensive manner in partnership with many community-based groups,
WHEREAS Madison has made effective use of its CDB...
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