House Resolution 41 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2        BY  FALLON, BERRY, BUKTA, DAVITT, FOEGE,
  1  3      HEDDENS, HOGG, HUNTER, JACOBY, KRESSIG, KUHN,
  1  4      MASCHER, MILLER, OLDSON, D. OLSON, PETERSEN,
  1  5   PETTENGILL, SCHUELLER, SHOMSHOR, SMITH, D. TAYLOR,
  1  6    T. TAYLOR, THOMAS, WENDT, WHITEAD, and ZIRKELBACH
  1  7 A Resolution protesting the proposed reduction in the
  1  8    federal Community Development Block Grant program.
  1  9    WHEREAS, the federal Community Development Block
  1 10 Grant, which helps pay for community action agencies,
  1 11 was begun more than 35 years ago as part of what was
  1 12 called the war on poverty, providing a wide range of
  1 13 housing, nutrition, education, and employment services
  1 14 to low=income people; and
  1 15    WHEREAS, the Community Development Block Grant
  1 16 program is the cornerstone of the federal government's
  1 17 partnership with state and local governments to
  1 18 provide funding to rehabilitate affordable housing,
  1 19 spur economic growth, and revitalize stagnant
  1 20 neighborhoods; and
  1 21    WHEREAS, as part of a broad reorganization, United
  1 22 States President George W. Bush has proposed
  1 23 eliminating the Community Development Block Grant
  1 24 program in fiscal year 2005=2006 and replacing it with
  1 25 a new program under the jurisdiction of the United
  1 26 States Department of Commerce; and
  1 27    WHEREAS, this new program would consolidate 18
  1 28 existing community and economic development programs,
  1 29 which are providing almost $6 billion in assistance
  1 30 this year, into a $3.71 billion "Strengthening
  2  1 America's Communities Initiative", representing a 33
  2  2 percent reduction in funding; and
  2  3    WHEREAS, the National League of Cities fears this
  2  4 reduction will seriously hamper efforts by cities to
  2  5 revitalize and rehabilitate aging downtowns, replace
  2  6 and build new affordable housing, reduce environmental
  2  7 hazards, and support a range of jobs programs; and
  2  8    WHEREAS, if implemented, the elimination of the
  2  9 Community Development Block Grant program will have
  2 10 the following impacts in Des Moines, Iowa, according
  2 11 to Des Moines' 2004 Consolidated Annual Performance
  2 12 and Evaluation Report submitted to the federal
  2 13 Department of Housing and Urban Development:
  2 14    9,800 fewer inspections for housing rehabilitation
  2 15 and building code enforcement;
  2 16    8,500 fewer households served by neighborhood site
  2 17 offices;
  2 18    1,295 fewer families receiving home ownership
  2 19 counseling;
  2 20    1,287 fewer homes receiving minor or major
  2 21 rehabilitation;
  2 22    709 fewer homeless people sheltered;
  2 23    90 fewer persons receiving job training;
  2 24    102 fewer households utilizing a tool=lending
  2 25 library;
  2 26    130 fewer people receiving public transportation
  2 27 subsidies;
  2 28    62 fewer affordable housing units constructed;
  2 29    36 fewer neighborhoods having neighborhood clean=
  2 30 ups;
  3  1    30 fewer nuisance properties demolished;
  3  2    8 fewer microenterprises being developed; and
  3  3    No sidewalk, paving, or curb replacement for the
  3  4 Neighborhood Improvement Revitalization Program; NOW
  3  5 THEREFORE,
  3  6    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  3  7 That the Iowa House of Representatives urges Congress
  3  8 to maintain the current Community Development Block
  3  9 Grant program and maintain its funding at the current
  3 10 level; and
  3 11    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the
  3 12 House of Representatives send copies of this
  3 13 Resolution to the President of the United States, the
  3 14 President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
  3 15 the United States House of Representatives, and
  3 16 members of Iowa's congressional delegation.
  3 17 LSB 2760HH 81
  3 18 jr:rj/sh/8