CDBG National Sign on Letter
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April 27, 2018 The Honorable Richard Shelby The Honorable Patrick Leahy Chair, Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee United States Senate United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen The Honorable Nita Lowey Chair, Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, Appropriations Committee U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Susan Collins The Honorable Jack Reed Chair, THUD Subcommittee Ranking Member, THUD Subcommittee United States Senate United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Mario Diaz-Balart The Honorable David Price Chair, THUD Subcommittee Ranking Member, THUD Subcommittee U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 RE: FY19 CDBG Funding Dear Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member Leahy, Chairman Frelinghuysen, Ranking Member Lowey, Chairwoman Collins, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Diaz-Balart, and Ranking Member Price: We, the 2,283 undersigned national, state and local organizations, write to express our support for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and urge you to appropriate at least $3.5 billion in formula funding for the program in FY 2019. For nearly 45 years, CDBG has served as the cornerstone of the federal government’s commitment to partnering with state and local governments to strengthen the nation’s communities and improve the quality of life for low- and moderate-income Americans. Every state, territory and Congressional district receives or has access to CDBG funds. CDBG provides crucial funding for economic development, public improvements, public services and affordable housing. It remains the principal source of federal revenue for states and localities and their program partners to use in developing and implementing flexible community development solutions. CDBG is a critical resource for communities nationwide to use in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods; producing and preserving homeowner and rental housing, providing fundamental infrastructure, vital public services and public improvements, and spurring economic development and public-private partnerships at the local level. CDBG plays a vital role in attracting investment in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. For every $1.00 of CDBG funding another $4.09 in private and public funding is leveraged. According to HUD, since FY 2005, the program has assisted over 1.435 million low- and moderate-income households rehabilitate their homes, provided down payment and/or closing cost assistance to credit worthy home buyers, and assisted homeowners with lead-based paint abatement. Moreover, since FY 2005, CDBG-funded public improvements directly benefitted over 45 million low- and moderate-income people nationwide and CDBG-funded public services assisted over 139 million low- and 1 moderate-income people nationwide. Additionally, the program has created/retained more than 401,000 economic development related jobs since FY 2005. CDBG has been chronically underfunded. The program has been cut by $1.1 billion since FY 2001. As a result, local communities have been forced to decrease or halt programs that assist low and moderate- income persons. We thank you for rejecting the Administration’s FY18 proposal to eliminate the program and for supporting $3.3 billion for CDBG in FY18; however, this amount falls well short of the $4.4 billion provided for the program in FY 2001. The need for CDBG is absolute. Based on a CDBG Coalition survey, CDBG grantees annually receive far more local applications for funding than can be met with their current CDBG allocation, with most estimating that over half of the applications are not funded. Continue to Restore CDBG Funding. With the increase in the FY19 budget caps, now is the time to continue to restore program funding. We urge you to, once again, reject the Administration’s proposal to eliminate the program in FY19 and to continue to restore the program’s funding by providing at least $3.5 billion for CDBG in FY19. That you for your continued support of the CDBG program. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Vicki Watson ([email protected]) with the National Community Development Association. Sincerely, National Organizations American Planning Association Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Council of State Community Development Agencies Enterprise Community Partners Feeding America Habitat for Humanity International Heartland Alliance International Economic Development Council Local Initiatives Support Corporation National Association for County Community and Economic Development National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders National Association of Counties National Association of Development Organizations National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies National Association of Regional Councils National Community Development Association National Development Council National League of Cities National Main Street Center National NeighborWorks Association National Recreation and Park Association National Urban League Rebuilding Together Rural Community Assistance Partnership The Trust for Public Land U.S. Conference of Mayors YWCA USA 2 State and Local Organizations City State ZIP Municipality of Anchorage Anchorage AK 99519 Rural Alaska Community Action Anchorage AK 99501 Alaska Division of Regional and Community Affairs Fairbanks AK 99701 City of Anniston Anniston AL 36201 City of Auburn Auburn AL 36832 Alabama-Tombigbee Regional Commission Camden AL 36726 Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission Dothan AL 36302 Anderson College of Nursing Florence AL 35632 City of Florence Florence AL 35630 Community Action Agency of NW Alabama Florence AL 35630 Florence Housing Authority Florence AL 35630 Framework Counseling Florence AL 35630 Homeless Care Council of NW AL Florence AL 35630 NW Alabama Community Health Association Florence AL 35630 One Place of the Shoals Florence AL 35630 Shoals Community Clinic Florence AL 35630 The Salvation Army Shoals Florence AL 35630 Windy Hill Farm Florence AL 35634 City of Gadsden Gadsden AL 35901 Center for Fair Housing, Inc Mobile AL 36616 Dearborn YMCA Mobile AL 36601 The Ali Foundation Mobile AL 36695 Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Montgomery AL 36104 City of Montgomery Montgomery AL 36104 West Alabama Regional Commission Northport AL 35476 Alabama Habitat for Humanity Opelika AL 36801 City of Opelika Opelika AL 36801 Lee-Russell Council of Government Opelika AL 36801 City of Prattville Prattville AL 36067 Habitat for Humanity of Autauga/Chilton Counties Prattville AL 36067 Gadsden-Etowah Habitat for Humanity Rainbow City AL 35906 Big Brothers Big Sisters Shoal Sheffield AL 35660 City of Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa AL 35401 Family Counseling Service of Tuscaloosa County, AL, Inc. Tuscaloosa AL 35401 Rockcastle Consulting, LLC Tuscaloosa AL 35403 Tuscaloosa County Parking and Transit Authority Tuscaloosa AL 35401 YMCA of Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa AL 35401 Freedom House Tuscumbia AL 35674 White River Planning and Development District Batesville AR 72501 Bethlehem House Conway AR 72034 Bethlehem House, Inc. Conway AR 72034 City of Conway Conway AR 72032 3 Community Service, Inc. Conway AR 72032 Phoenix Recovery Center Conway AR 72032 Pine Street Area CDC Conway AR 72032 City of Fayetteville Fayetteville AR 72701 Communities Unlimited Fayetteville AR 72703 Habitat for Humanity of Washington County AR Fayetteville AR 72701 University of Arkansas Community Design Center Fayetteville AR 72701 City of Fort Smith Fort Smith AR 72902 Community Dental Clinic Fort Smith AR 72904 Community Services Clearinghouse Fort Smith AR 72902 Crawford-Sebastian Community Development Council Fort Smith AR 72901 Crisis Intervention Center Fort Smith AR 72901 Fort Smith Boys & Girls Club Fort Smith AR 72904 Fort Smith Children's Emergency Shelter Fort Smith AR 72901 Fort Smith Community Development Advisory Council Fort Smith AR 72901 Fort Smith Housing Assistance Board Fort Smith AR 72903 Fort Smith Housing Authority Fort Smith AR 72916 Girls Inc. of Fort Smith Fort Smith AR 72903 Good Samaritan Clinic Fort Smith AR 72901 Harbor House, Inc. Fort Smith AR 72904 HOPE Campus Fort Smith AR 72904 Next Step Day Room, Inc. Fort Smith AR 72901 The Gregory Kistler Center Fort Smith AR 72903 Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District Harrison AR 72601 City of Hot Springs Hot Springs AR 71901 Garland County Habitat for Humanity Hot Springs AR 71913 Hot Springs CDAC Hot Springs AR 71913 Ouachita Children's Center, Inc. Hot Springs AR 71901 SW Arkansas Partnership on Homelessness Hot Springs AR 71902 United Way of the Ouachitas Hot Springs AR 71913 West Central Arkansas Planning & Development Disrict Hot Springs AR 71902 Whittington Valley Neighborhood Association Hot Springs AR 71902 Valley Building Specialties Hot Springs AR 71913 Community Development Department Jacksonville AR 72076 City of Jonesboro Jonesboro AR 72403 Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro Jonesboro AR 72401 Hispanic Community Services, Inc Jonesboro AR 72401 NEA Community Athletics Jonesboro AR 72401 Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas Little Rock AR 72201 City of Little Rock Little Rock AR 72201 Housing and Neighborhood Department Little Rock AR 72209 Central Arkansas Planning and Development District Lonoke AR 72086 Southwest