COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING COMMITTEE

SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT’S FY2001 BUDGET FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

WHEREAS, the President has proposed a $32.092 billion HUD budget for Fiscal 2001; and

WHEREAS, special purpose grants would once again decrease under the President’s proposed budget, thereby making more CDBG funds available for entitlement allocations to cities and urban counties; and

WHEREAS, the President proposed a new Regional Connections Initiative that would be funded at $25 million and expand on the historic collaboration of the USCM and NACo through the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities; and

WHEREAS, the budget increases new incremental vouchers from 60,000 units to 120,000 units; and

WHEREAS, the incremental vouchers will be directed as follows: 60,000 units to "Fair Share"/Generic; 32,000 units to Welfare-to-Work; 15,000 units to Homeless; and 10,000 units to Housing Production,

WHEREAS, the American Private Investment Companies (APIC would be funded at $37 million to stimulate $1.5 billion in private debt and equity investment in low-and moderate-income areas; and

WHEREAS, the budget increases funding for Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) to assist low-income persons with AIDS and their families with short-term rental assistance, mortgage assistance, and utility payments,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors applauds the President for providing additional program resources to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and supports full funding for the Department’s FY2001 Budget request; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that flexibility be built into the voucher programs so that cities can maximize use for meeting needs such as allowing vouchers to be used for project-based tenant-based assistance; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports funding:

• the Public Housing Operating Fund and Capital Fund at $3.5 billion and $3.36 billion, respectively;

• the HOPE VI Program at $625 million;

• the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program at $419 million.