By Aaron Wiley, USCM Intern, and the National Community Development Association
April 25, 2005

The annual Community Development Week Celebration (CD Week) across the country in cities and counties March 28 to April 3 called attention to the many Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) successes on the local level, and helped support the Conference of Mayors national lobbying effort to retain the program and keep it within The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The CDBG program has become the focus of a bi-partisan coalition to keep CDBG retained in HUD.

Across the nation, cities, mayors, public and private organizations, Congressman and Senators have been working to save and fully fund CDBG. This highly popular program continues to thrive and affects cities providing services for programs and projects that assist lower income persons.

The theme of CD Week this year is "Communities on the Rise." The National Community Development Association (NCDA) which spearheads the efforts says, "It would also want to thank all for the hard work in providing information from your cities to your Congressional delegations on the importance of the CDBG program, and the impact of its proposed elimination will have on your communities." A partial listing of some local events celebrating the event:

Nebraska

The NCDA initiated National CD Week in 1986 to remind Congress of the importance of the CDBG program. In Nebraska, federal, state, and local organizations have formed a partnership to support community development activities in recognition of CD Week.

Communities are invited to celebrate the week by hosting a variety of local activities including holding a proclamation signing by local officials, hosting a community appreciation dinner, working with downtown business owners to promote downtown and area businesses, and/or writing letters to congressional representatives to share achievement and express opinions about the resources and programs that help make community development projects possible. Communities also may nominate themselves for the John A. Sasso National Community Development Week Award through the NCDA. Award information can be found at: www.ncdaonline.org.

In Nebraska, nominations were accepted through March 4 for the Governor's Showcase Community Award, which recognize a community that demonstrate exceptional capacity during the past five to ten years to identify community development goals and strategies, combine local, state, and federal resources to achieve goals, and accomplish major projects having long-lasting impacts on the community. The Governors Showcase Community Award and honorable mention awards will be announced at a special proclamation signing and awards ceremony during CD Week at the state capitol in Lincoln.

Norwalk (CT)

Norwalk Mayor Alex Knopp and Norwalk Redevelopment Agency Chairman Paul L. Jones expressed their support March 30 for full funding of the federal CDBG program at $4.7 billion in FY06 and maintaining the program at HUD. Knopp and Jones encouraged the city's federal delegation to continue their support for the CDBG program during CD Week March 28 to April 3.

"The proposed elimination of the program is particularly distressing news for the city of Norwalk as the CDBG program has been an integral part of the city's efforts to provide programs and services that directly benefit and improve the lives of the city's low and moderate income population. Over that past five years, the average federal allocations emerging needs in the Norwalk community such as affordable housing, social services, neighborhood improvement and community economic development initiatives. More specifically, CDBG funds allocated to the city of Norwalk from 2000-2005 were used to, among other initiatives, renovate 617 housing units, improves the quality, condition and access to public services activities such as case management for 412 households who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless," said Knopp.

"Furthermore, while CDBG program requirements stipulate that 70 percent of the program expenditures benefit low and moderate income persons, 97.4 percent of Norwalk's most recent CDBG program beneficiaries were low and moderate income as defined by HUD," stated Knopp.

Shreveport (LA)

Residents citywide were invited to the Bilberry Recreation Center to help celebrate National CD Week.

Although the level of CDBG money to cities continues to decrease, Shreveport received $2.9 million in 2005. CDBG money flows through Shreveport from the federal government to such agencies as NLWA Community Development Corporation, Steeple Chase Baptists Church Community Development, Providence House, YWCA, Queensborough Neighborhood Association, Caddo Council on Aging and the Martin Luther King Health Center, to name just a few. These funds allow the city to be more involved in housing and public services.

To celebrate the importance of CDBG money to the continued existence of many non-profit agencies, the city's Department of Community Development held a celebration. Bilberry Recreation Center featured free hot dogs, snow cones, popcorn and drinks, and a space walk for children.

Mesa (AZ)

The Center for Hope Community Bridges, a Mesa-based nonprofit agency, received this year's CDBG project Award at the Arizona statewide CDBG celebration March 30 in Casa Grande. The award is in recognition for the Center of Hope, which serves pregnant or post-partum women with substance abuse problems, many whom are victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse. The facility, the only one of its kind in the East Valley, is funded through a variety of sources including $575,000 in CDBG funds from Mesa's Community Revitalization Division.

Elizabeth (NJ)

Mayor J. Christian Bollwage hosted the annual CDBG Week celebration at the Second Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth. This year's theme marked the 31st anniversary of the CDBG program.

"The city of Elizabeth is the epitome of this year's theme, 'Communities on the Rise,'" said Bollwage. "With CDBG funds to provide services to senior citizens, youth, disabled, single mothers, and the unemployed just to name a few. This week's celebration is a testament to how CDBG has enabled faith-based and non-profit organizations to enrich our loves, create opportunities, and provide vital community programs."

This year's event is especially important because of President Bush's 2006 budget proposal to eliminate the CDBG program. If CDBG is eliminated, Elizabeth would no longer be able to fund much needed programs and it will seriously weaken many non-profit agencies, including faith-based groups, which serves the providers of important services throughout the city.