CDBG Program Ltrs to Grassley & Harkin
H&CD
Housing and Community Development Department
1805 Central Avenue
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-3656
(563) 589-4212 office
(563) 589-4203 fax
akramer@cityofdubuque.org
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February 23, 2005
The Honorable Charles Grassley
U.S. Senate
135 Senate Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Grassley:
We need your help in saving the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Program and restoring its funding. Please join other Senators in requesting that the
Budget Committee provide $4.732 billion to support the CDBG program in the fiscal
year 2006 budget resolution and to retain the program within the Department of Housing
and Urban and Development.
The Administration's FY06 budget proposes the total elimination of CDBG. In lieu of the
long-standing CDBG program, the Administration is proposing the creation of a smaller
program within the Department of Commerce that will focus mainly on economic
development. CDBG has served communities for 30 years as a resource to help cities,
counties, and States meet their community development, affordable housing, and
economic development needs.
In the City of Dubuque, CDBG funds numerous programs that assist low and moderate
income persons. Last year alone, CDBG funds assisted 19 first time homeowners to
buy a home, 50 residential housing units were rehabbed and 20 new jobs were created.
Over 6000 people received services funded with CDBG, including recreation programs,
vocational training for at-risk youth, group therapy for the mentally ill, summer reading
programs, and programs for the elderly. Neighborhood and community development
programs provided for a variety of neighborhood services and improvements, sidewalk
and accessible curb ramps, improvements in neighborhood parks, historic preservation
and neighborhood support grants.
With the proposed elimination of the program, we will no longer be able to fund these
services and programs. low and moderate-income citizens will no longer be assisted.
Moreover, we will be forced to layoff employees that administer these programs. The
Service
People
Integrity
Responsibility
Innovation
Teamwork
elimination of the program will also affect contractors and businesses, which we utilize
in the program, resulting in an overall economic loss to our community. In short, there
is the infrastructure in place to carryout this critical program. There is no reason to
throw it out and create a new statute, regulations, and implementation scheme.
We hope that you will join your colleagues in supporting this valuable community
development program by signing the letter to Budget Chairman Gregg and Ranking
Member Conrad. For more information, or to sign this letter, please have your staff
contact Kris Sarli with the Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition at 202-224-0606,
Andrew Siracuse in Senator Coleman's office at 202-224-5641, or Chanda Betourney
with Senator leahy's office at 202-224-4242, by Friday February 25, 2005.
Sincerely,
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Michael Van Milligen
City Manager
City of Dubuque
H&CD
Housing and Community Development Department
1805 Central Avenue
Dubuque, Iowa 52001~3656
(563) 589-4212 office
(563) 589-4203 fax
akramer@cityofdubuque.org
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February 23, 2005
The Honorable Tom Harkin
U.S. Senate
731 Senate Hart Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Harkin:
We need your help in saving the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program and
restoring its funding. Please join other Senators in requesting that the Budget Committee
provide $4.732 billion to support the CDBG program in the fiscal year 2006 budget resolution
and to retain the program within the Department of Housing and Urban and Development.
The Administration's FY06 budget proposes the total elimination ofCDBG. In lieu of the long-
standing CDBG program, the Administration is proposing the creation of a smaller program
within the Department of Commerce that will focus mainly on economic development. CDBG
has served communities for 30 years as a resource to help cities, counties, and States meet their
community development, affurdable housing, and economic development needs.
In the City of Dubuque, CDBG funds numerous programs that assist low and moderate income
persons. Last year alone, CDBG funds assisted 19 first time homeowners to buy a home, 50
residential housing units were rehabbed and 20 new jobs were created. Over 6000 people
received services funded with CDBG, including recreation programs, vocational training for at-
risk youth, group therapy for the mentally ill, summer reading programs, and programs for the
elderly. Neighborhood and community development programs provided for a variety of
neighborhood services and improvements, sidewalk and accessible curb ramps, improvements in
neighborhood parks, historic preservation and neighborhood support grants.
With the proposed elimination of the program, we will no longer be able to fund these services
and programs. Low and moderate-income citizens will no longer be assisted. Moreover, we will
be forced to layoff employees that administer these programs and services. The elimination of
the CDBG program will also affect contractors and businesses, which we utilize in the program,
resulting in an overall economic loss to our community. In short, there is the infrastructure in
place to carryout this critical program. There is no reason to throw it out and create a new
statute, regulations, and implementation scheme.
Service
People
Integrity
Responsibility
lnnovation
Teamwork
We hope that you will join your colleagues in supporting this valuable community development
program by signing the letter to Budget Chairman Gregg and Ranking Member Conrad.
For more information, or to sign this letter, please have your staff contact Kris Sarri with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition at 202-224-0606, Andrew Siracuse in Senator Coleman's
office at 202-224-5641, or Chanda Betourney with Senator Leahy's office at 202-224-4242, by
Friday February 25, 2005.
Sincerely,
'Y) j (.'
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Michael Van Milligen
City Manager
City of Dubuque
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City Manager's Office
City Hall
50 Wesl13th Street
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-4864
(563) 589-4110 office
(563) 589-4149 fax
ctymgr@cityofdubuque.org
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March 3, 2005
The Honorable Jim Nussle
U.S. House of Representatives
303 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1502
Dear Representative Nussle:
We need your help in saving the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Program and restoring its funding. We urge you to include language in your manager's
amendment during the mark-up of the FY 06 Budget Resolution that would provide
$4.732 billion to support the CDBG program, including funding for Section 108 and the
Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BED I), and retain these programs within
the Department of Housing and Urban and Development.
The Administration's FY06 budget proposes the total elimination of CDBG. In lieu of the
long-standing CDBG program, the Administrliltion is proposing the creation of the
"Strengthening America's Communities Initiative," a smaller program within the
Department of Commerce that will focus mainly on economic development. CDBG has
served communities for 30 years as a resource to help cities, counties, and States meet
their community development, affordable housing, and economic development needs.
In the City of Dubuque, CDBG funds numerous programs that assist low and moderate
income persons. Last year alone, CDBG funds assisted 19 first time homeowners to
buy a home, 50 residential housing units were rehabbed and 20 new jobs were created.
Over 6000 people received services funded with CDBG, including recreation programs,
vocational training for at-risk youth, group therapy for the mentally ill, summer reading
programs, and programs for the elderly. Neighborhood and community development
programs provided for a variety of neighborhood services and improvements, sidewalk
and accessible curb ramps, improvements in neighborhood parks, historic preservation
and neighborhood support grants.
With the proposed elimination of the program, we will no longer be able to fund these
services and programs. Low and moderate-income citizens will no longer be assisted.
Service
People
Integrity
Responsibility
Innovation
Teamwork
.
Moreover, we will be forced to layoff employees that administer these programs. The
elimination of the program will also affect contractors and businesses, which we utilize
in the program, resulting in an overall economic loss to our community. In short, there
is the infrastructure in place to carryout this critical program. There is no reason to
throw it out and create a new statute, regulations, and implementation scheme.
We hope that you will support the CDBG program in FY 06 by including language in
your manager's amendment to retain the program at HUD with a funding level of $4.732
billion. Please feel free to call me with any questions.
Sincerely,
('t~~
Michael Van Milligen
City Manager
City of Dubuque