By Guy F. Smith
April 25, 2005

As Senate appropriations hearings on the Housing and Urban Development budget opened April 14, Missouri Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond vigorously defended the community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, contending that the President "has been getting very bad advice about the housing and community development needs of the nation."

Bond chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, the Judiciary, HUD and related agencies. In the continuing fight to oppose elimination of the CDBG program and transfer other HUD programs to the Department of Commerce, Bond made it clear he was "disappointed" that the Administration has proposed to eliminate the CDBG, along with 17 or more other programs and replace these programs with a new block grant in the Department of Commerce with the Strengthening America's Communities initiative. The Conference of Mayors and other governmental and public interest groups in a coalition effort have mounted a lobbying effort against the Administration's plan to eliminate CDBG, a 30-year program now funded at $4.7 billion dollars.

HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson was the Administration's witness, and Bond told him that the proposed elimination of CDBG is a double tragedy.

"Communities across the nation rely on CDBG to fund critical housing and community development programs. Without these funds, many local programs will falter and even fail," Bond added.

If there are any problems with CDBG programs, Bond said that, "The key is to fix problems in good programs, not dismantle the programs."

Concluded Bond: "I have been working on housing and community development issues for most of my career from the governor's office in Missouri to my current position on the Appropriations Committee in the Senate. Unfortunately, despite my continuing efforts to reform HUD and support housing and community development initiatives, the Department of Housing and Urban Development remains in decline, characterized by failed programs and policies. I still believe that this trajectory of failure can be stopped, but I am dismayed by the lack of progress.

"Mr. Secretary, I know that you face an uphill battle with an Administration that seems to have little interest or commitment to HUD's programs and instead seems committed to dismantling the modest successes that HUD has achieved. I do not understand — when housing and community development investments work well, everyone benefits, jobs are created, taxes are collected, and schools and communities improve. Where we fail to create the right programs or fail to invest in these programs, neighborhoods deteriorate, and the qualities of peoples- lives suffer. It is that simple.

"I am not looking for big increases in HUD programs. I do, however, believe that we need to preserve existing programs and try to build on these modest successes where possible."