Rep. Maxine Waters Holds Field Hearing on President’s Proposed Cuts to Federally-funded Community Programs
U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (35th-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing, Community Opportunity, released the following statement on the recent Subcommittee field hearing chaired by subcommittee chairman Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) in Los Angeles concerning the President's proposed cuts to the CDBG program which funds programs for seniors, families and children.
"My colleagues and I are deeply troubled by the proposed cuts to CDBG," said Rep. Waters, "by acquiescing to these cuts, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is abdicating its responsibility to communities nationwide that depend on these funds."
In engaging one of the witnesses, HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, Pamela Patenaude with questions, Rep. Waters said, "not only is this Administration proposing to cut CDBG, but it is doing so without an explanation as to how it arrived at an astounding 20% cut." Rep. Waters continued, "the President continues to attack successful programs like CDBG and Brownfields mitigation - which are aimed at cleaning up environmentally unsafe areas and the HOME program - which assists low and moderate income families with homeownership opportunities."
The hearing was attended by more than 700 Californians representing over 100 productive CDBG funded programs. Many of the attendees expressed dismay at the proposed cuts and asserted that the cuts would either severely weaken or completely destroy their programs.
"Many of these programs are extremely beneficial to our community," said Rep. Waters, "these programs provide, low and moderate income housing, economic development, gang reduction and job training.
CDBG funded programs, which require 70% of the funds be spent on activities to benefit low and moderate income persons, and upon which our community rely in day-to-day activities, include:
Big Brother & Big Sisters of Gtr. Los Angeles – Mentor Outreach,
Community Development Commission – Single Family Grant Program,
Jr. Blind of America – Infant Family Project,
Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs – Homeowners Fraud Prevention Project,
Gang Membership, Vandalism, and Illegal Nuisance Dumping Reduction Program,
Watts Labor Community Action Committee, and
Community Build.
"CDBG is a program that benefits all of America and is popular with both Republicans and Democrats. This program has proven effective in the most rural of areas such as the one represented by Chairman Ney and the most urban areas like mine, the 35th district of California. Unfortunately, the President's proposed cuts are just the latest example of this Administration disregard for the will of Congress and the American people.
Congresswoman Waters, along with Subcommittee Chairman Bob Ney, vowed to organize staunch opposition to the President's proposed cuts and hope that they will be able to convince their colleagues to reject them because they would severely harm America.
The witness list for the hearing was as follows: The Honorable Pamela Patenaude, Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; The Honorable Robert Ovrom, Deputy Mayor, Housing & Economic Development, City of Los Angeles, CA; The Honorable Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, District 2, Member, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; The Honorable Eric Garcetti, District 13, President, Los Angeles City Council; The Honorable Roosevelt F. Dorn, Mayor, City of Inglewood, CA; The Honorable Harold Hofmann, Mayor, City of Lawndale, CA; Mr. Clifford Graves, General Manager, Department of Community Development, City of Los Angeles, CA; Mr. Carlos Jackson, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Community Development Commission; Ms. Brenda Shockley, President, Community Build, Inc.; Ms. Marva Smith Battle-Bey, President and CEO, Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation; and, Mr. Al Jenkins, Project Manager, Community Redevelopment Agency/Los Angeles.
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