Washington Post reports are $6 billion in cuts and elimination of CDBG funds entirely, National Low Income Housing Coalition has it as high as $7 billion. Ben Carson says – “don’t worry, it won’t be that bad“.
Here’s what I gleaned from the Washington Post article:
– PUBLIC HOUSING – About $1.3 billion would be cut from the public housing capital fund, under the preliminary plan — when compared to funding in 2016 — and an additional $600 million would be cut from the public housing operating fund.
– PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES – Budgets for public housing authorities — city and state agencies that provide subsidized housing and vouchers to local residents — would be among the hardest hit. Under the preliminary budget, those operational funds would be reduced by $600 million, or 13 percent. Funds for big-ticket repairs at public housing facilities would be cut by an additional $1.3 billion, about 32 percent. That could have a major quality-of-life effects on the low-income families who rely on public housing: Tens of billions of dollars in backlogged repairs already plague the country’s 1.2 million public housing units, according to a 2010 HUD report.
– CDBG – The Community Development Block Grant Program, which has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, is budgeted to receive $3 billion this fiscal year, according to the document. The proposal would cut those funds entirely.
– In the budget document, HUD employees recommended “inclusion of funds in infrastructure package” for the Community Development Block Grant, indicating the money could come from outside the HUD budget as part of a separate White House bill.
– HOME – The HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which provides block grants for local communities to build affordable housing, and Choice Neighborhoods, a program that invests in redeveloping low-income communities, also would be cut.
– SECTION 8/VETERANS/ELDERLY/DISABILITIES – Under the proposal, direct rental assistance payments — including Section 8 Housing and housing vouchers for homeless veterans — would be cut by at least $300 million, to $19.3 billion. Additionally, housing for the elderly — known as the Section 202 program — would be cut by $42 million, nearly 10 percent. Section 811 housing for people with disabilities would be cut by $29 million, nearly 20 percent. Money available for Native American housing block grants would fall by $150 million, more than 20 percent.
– (Barbara Sard) She noted that, while it appears likely that Trump will propose an infrastructure package, the White House has not indicated that it would include anything related to housing.
And this is from the US Conference of Mayors:
From: Soglin, Paul
Sent: Thursday, March 9, 2017 4:17 PM
To: All Alders
Cc: Dept Division Heads
Subject: Trump Proposes to Eliminate CDBG – from US Conference of MayorsTrump Plan to Eliminate CDBG
The Front page of the Washington Post reveals Trump plan to eliminate the top federal program of the United States Conference of Mayors since we worked with President Nixon and Ford to establish at HUD in 1974.
For decades now, this flagship federal partnership has been most successful in counties, cities, and townships across America. For local officials, this is America’s program, a partnership in our federal system that has returned some of the billions of dollars we send to Washington back to our states, counties, and cities. Governors, mayors, county leaders, and city councilmembers have used these funds to tailor federal funding initiatives to meet state and local needs. These funds are used to strengthen the economic vitality of our nation and I can assure you that we will fight this plan to eliminate our top priority block grant program.
This morning, I, along with the CEOs and Executive Directors of the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties issued a joint statement vowing to use the full force of all three organizations if the final budget proposed remains to prove this report leaked today.
We are requesting a meeting with the new Secretary of HUD to discuss this matter of urgency.
Newton Mayor Setti Warren led a delegation to Capitol Hill during our leadership meeting here last week solidifying our support we have from congress and gaining new support due to the effectiveness of this program from the newer members of Congress.
As we move to show our strength, we will need strong support of county and city officials in our effort.
Please contact your House members and Senators asking them to stop this ill-advised plan to eliminate your community development block grants.
Tom Cochran, CEO USCM
Between kicking people off health care and these cuts, our local communities are really going to be struggling to respond to those in need.
