HJ0038 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0038 LRB094 11949 DRJ 44674 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program was enacted, and signed into law by President Gerald Ford, as the centerpiece of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; and

WHEREAS, The CDBG program has as its primary objective "the development of viable urban communities, by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income"; and

WHEREAS, The CDBG program has considerable flexibility to allow communities to carry out activities that are tailored to their unique affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization needs; and

WHEREAS, Throughout its 30-year history, the CDBG program has been a partnership between the federal, state, and local governments, business, and the nonprofit sector, which carry out activities that improve the lives and neighborhoods of low and moderate income families; and

WHEREAS, According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in FY 2004 the CDBG program provided funds for thousands of activities, assisting over 23 million persons and households through such activities as expanding homeownership activities, eliminating slums and blighting influences, improving infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, libraries, and community centers, and providing adult day care and after school care for children, homeless housing facilities, employment training, transportation services, crime awareness, and business and job creation; and

WHEREAS, The City of Chicago uses CDBG funds in the amount of $95.5 million to provide housing, economic development, and various public services to approximately 400,000 people annually; and

WHEREAS, The President's FY 2006 budget proposes to completely eliminate the CDBG program; and

WHEREAS, Should such a proposal be enacted, it would have a devastating effect on the State's CDBG program in the following ways: (1) reduced number of housing developments; (2) reduced business development and urban planning; and (3) elimination of youth, violence prevention, health, and homeless services that serve millions of people annually; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge the United States Congress to preserve the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development and provide FY 2006 funding of at least $4.7 billion overall, with no less than $4.35 billion in formula funding; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be sent to the President of the United States Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, and each member of the Illinois Congressional delegation.