Washington, DC—Below is a statement by Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the United States Conference of Mayors, on the Administration’s proposal to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) in its 2021 budget:
“It is most unfortunate that the Administration has been ill-advised by HUD and OMB to eliminate the Community Development Block Grant program in its proposed 2021 budget. This program, which impacts every community in the country, supports critical housing, infrastructure, and economic development investments as well as other services in cities small, medium and large. The program has long enjoyed a great bipartisan legacy and its effectiveness remains irrefutable.
“This proposed cut, along with those that would slash funding for healthcare, clean water, education, and food, is a gut punch to local communities and working families. As it has done before, the United States Conference of Mayors will re-double its efforts to fight these cuts and protect CDBG.
“Republican and Democratic members of Congress have stood with us before in support of CDBG. We pledge to work with them again in a bipartisan manner to restore this funding so that our communities can continue to grow and thrive.”