Senate Resolution 44 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2     BY  HATCH, DANIELSON, DOTZLER, WARNSTADT, SENG,
  1  3      HANCOCK, RIELLY, WOOD, SCHOENJAHN, CONNOLLY,
  1  4      COURTNEY, QUIRMBACH, GRONSTAL, FRAISE, BLACK,
  1  5       STEWART, RAGAN, BEALL, KREIMAN, and DVORSKY
  1  6 A Resolution protesting the proposed reduction in the
  1  7    federal Community Development Block Grant program.
  1  8    WHEREAS, the federal Community Development Block
  1  9 Grant, which helps pay for community action agencies,
  1 10 was begun more than 35 years ago as part of what was
  1 11 called the war on poverty, providing a wide range of
  1 12 housing, nutrition, education, and employment services
  1 13 to low=income people; and
  1 14    WHEREAS, the Community Development Block Grant
  1 15 program is the cornerstone of the federal government's
  1 16 partnership with state and local governments to
  1 17 provide funding to rehabilitate affordable housing,
  1 18 spur economic growth, and revitalize stagnant
  1 19 neighborhoods; and
  1 20    WHEREAS, as part of a broad reorganization, United
  1 21 States President George W. Bush has proposed
  1 22 eliminating the Community Development Block Grant
  1 23 program in fiscal year 2005=2006 and replacing it with
  1 24 a new program under the jurisdiction of the United
  1 25 States Department of Commerce; and
  1 26    WHEREAS, this new program would consolidate 18
  1 27 existing community and economic development programs,
  1 28 which are providing almost $6 billion in assistance
  1 29 this year, into a $3.71 billion "Strengthening
  1 30 America's Communities Initiative", representing a 33
  2  1 percent reduction in funding; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, the National League of Cities fears this
  2  3 reduction will seriously hamper efforts by cities to
  2  4 revitalize and rehabilitate aging downtowns, replace
  2  5 and build new affordable housing, reduce environmental
  2  6 hazards, and support a range of jobs programs; and
  2  7    WHEREAS, if implemented, the elimination of the
  2  8 Community Development Block Grant program will have
  2  9 the following impacts in Des Moines, Iowa, according
  2 10 to Des Moines' 2004 Consolidated Annual Performance
  2 11 and Evaluation Report submitted to the federal
  2 12 Department of Housing and Urban Development:
  2 13    9,800 fewer inspections for housing rehabilitation
  2 14 and building code enforcement;
  2 15    8,500 fewer households served by neighborhood site
  2 16 offices;
  2 17    1,295 fewer families receiving home ownership
  2 18 counseling;
  2 19    1,287 fewer homes receiving minor or major
  2 20 rehabilitation;
  2 21    709 fewer homeless people sheltered;
  2 22    90 fewer persons receiving job training;
  2 23    102 fewer households utilizing a tool=lending
  2 24 library;
  2 25    130 fewer people receiving public transportation
  2 26 subsidies;
  2 27    62 fewer affordable housing units constructed;
  2 28    36 fewer neighborhoods having neighborhood clean=
  2 29 ups;
  2 30    30 fewer nuisance properties demolished;
  3  1    8 fewer microenterprises being developed; and
  3  2    No sidewalk, paving, or curb replacement for the
  3  3 Neighborhood Improvement Revitalization Program; NOW
  3  4 THEREFORE,
  3  5    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate urges
  3  6 Congress to maintain the current Community Development
  3  7 Block Grant program and maintain its funding at the
  3  8 current level; and
  3  9    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the
  3 10 Senate send copies of this Resolution to the President
  3 11 of the United States, the President of the United
  3 12 States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House
  3 13 of Representatives, and members of Iowa's
  3 14 congressional delegation.
  3 15 LSB 2760SS 81
  3 16 jr:rj/sh/8