SUPPORT FOR CDBG

            WHEREAS, CDBG provides vital funding and flexibility to address local needs in the areas of community and economic development, housing infrastructure and vital public services; and

            WHEREAS, over 1,200 communities relay on CDBG as a direct source of annual funding; and

            WHEREAS, an estimated 7,250 local governments nationally have access to CDBG funds reaching rural, urban, and suburban areas; and

            WHEREAS, CDBG helps create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses; and

            WHEREAS, since FY2010, funding for CDBG has been cut by over $1 billion while the need for these important resources at the local level has continued to grow; and

            WHEREAS, for every $1.00 of CDBG funding invested in a project another $3.55 is leveraged from other sources; and

            WHEREAS, since its inception in 1974, CDBG has leveraged nearly $400 billion in other resources for community development and affordable housing; and

            WHEREAS, between FY2005-FY2012 CDBG created or retained 302,622 local jobs; and

            WHEREAS, between FY2005-FY2012 CDBG has assisted over one million low-and moderate-income homeowners rehabilitate their homes, provided down payment and closing cost assistance to qualified home buyers, and assisted homeowners through lead-based paint abatement; and

            WHEREAS, between FY2005-FY2012 CDBG-funded infrastructure projects have benefited over 30 million Americans nationwide, by providing a suitable living and environment that includes sanitary water and sewer systems, safe streets and transit-ways, improved drainage systems, and other improvements that support our communities and help grow local economies; and

            WHEREAS, between FY2005-FY2012 CDBG has provided public services such as  employment training, meals and other services to the elderly, services to help abused and neglected children, assistance to local food banks, among others to over 95 million low-and moderate income households nationwide; and

            WHEREAS, the Administration would reduce CDBG formula funding to $2.8 billion in FY2014; and

            WHEREAS, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development cut CDBG from $3.0 billion to $1.6 billion in FY2014; and

            WHEREAS, CDBG formula funding for FY2013 (in the Continuing Resolution) prior to the sequestration cut was $3.3 billion; and

            WHEREAS, the FY2014 Budget proposes to amend the Community Development Block Grant statute to include a funding threshold of approximately $350,000 for communities to receive formula funding directly from HUD and it would eliminate the "grandfathering" of metropolitan cities and urban counties who fall below the population level at which they initially qualified; and

            WHEREAS, HUD has indicated that approximately 340 cities would lose direct funding under the threshold,

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors supports CDBG formula funding for FY2014 at least at $3.3 billion; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the United States Conference of Mayors is opposed to the CDBG reforms funding threshold and the elimination of grandfathering proposed in the FY2014 Federal Budget.