City and county leaders last week joined with representatives of the private sector to denounce the proposal to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program from the 2006 federal budget.

Leaders from the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), National Association of Counties (NACo) and representatives of the private sector appeared at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to call on the Administration and Congress to keep CDBG as a separately funded program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, instead of combining it with up to 17 other programs and drastically decreasing its funding level.

?At the end of the day, the Community Development Block Grant program is not only a wise economic investment and community-planning tool ? it?s a lifeline for poor communities and our neediest citizens,? said NLC President Anthony A. Williams, mayor of Washington, D.C. ?The bottom line is that without these funds, our cities and towns across America face an uphill battle to create livable, thriving neighborhoods for residents.?

The press conference was the first step in a joint lobbying campaign to save the CDBG program, which has helped communities across the nation provide affordable housing, job training, business development, job creation, health care and many other services to low and moderate income families during its 32-year history.

Examples of how the program works include:

?           Mesa, Ariz., used CDBG funds for a vocational training and placement center for people with disabilities.

?           Davenport, La., used CDBG to redevelop vacant and abandoned buildings.

?           Daytona Beach, Fla., used the funds to create a small business incubator that provides low-cost office space for low-income business owners.

?           Milwaukee, Wisc., used the program to rehabilitate and construct more than 700 affordable housing units.

?           Tuscaloosa, Ala., used $2 million in CDBG funds to renovate an area near the University of Alabama, which helped create more than 100 new jobs and retain many more.

?As you travel across America, when you go into the heartland of America and see a revitalized downtown, you have seen what CDBG can do ? turn boarded up buildings, vacant streets and blighted housing into tiny jewels, small stores that line streets, stores supported by small town business people, stores that reflect the character of the community,? said NLC First Vice President James Hunt, councilmember from Clarksburg, W. Va.

Hunt emphasized the value CDBG has brought to cities of all sizes, even small cities (non-entitlement) that have to compete for CDBG funds annually for specific projects.

The business community also has a stake in the Community Development Block Grant program. In FY 2004, CDBG created or retained 90,637 jobs. Furthermore, for every one dollar of CDBG funding, approximately $2.79 in private funding was leveraged for economic development projects like shopping centers and grocery stores.

?Federal funding for community development helps provide affordable housing, create jobs, further economic development and enables our citizens to improve their quality of life,? said Montgomery County, Md., Executive Douglas M. Duncan, representing NACo. ?Substantial cuts to this program, as a result of the Administration?s budget proposal that will consolidate 18 development programs into two, will severely curb community development in the hundreds of counties across the country that receive direct funding.?

The coalition of mayors, county officials and business leaders contends that for the future of this nation, CDBG must not be eliminated, nor see any major cuts to the program.

?CDBG is an effective program that helps millions of Americans by investing in our communities. We will take our message to Capitol Hill to fight for our federal and local government partnerships that have been successful for over three decades,? said Akron, Ohio, Mayor Donald Plusquellic, president of USCM.

Past USCM President Mayor James Garner of Hempstead, N.Y., said CDBG is an ?effective program that has helped millions of Americans.?

?As a Republican mayor whose community has benefited from effective use of CDBG funds, I believe we must fight to save this program and sustain its funding,? Garner said.  ?Eliminating CDBG is totally unacceptable.?

Other organizations present at the press conference included the International Council of Shopping Centers, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Community Development Association, and National Association for County Community and Economic Development.

Visit the NLC website at www.nlc.org for more information about the Community Development Block Grant program, including examples of how cities and towns have used the funds.

Save the CDBG Program

Six things you can do to save the Community Development Block Grant Program:

?           Ask your local representatives to support Sens. Pat Leahy?s and Norm Coleman?s letters to the Senate Leadership rejecting the administration?s proposal.

?           Tell your representatives and senators about exemplary CDBG projects in your community. View examples from across the country of successful programs.

?           Give your senators and representatives ownership in those projects by publicly thanking them for their support of CDBG.

?           Spread good news about the program through press conferences, letters to the editor and op-ed pieces in local newspapers.

?           Visit the NLC grassroots action center at www.nlc.org for up-to-date information about the campaign.

?           Come to the Congressional City Conference from March 11-15 and have your voice heard on Capitol Hill.