Washington, D.C.— On Friday, the White House released its FY2027 budget proposal, which includes significant funding cuts to numerous programs that have long been critical for American cities. In particular, it would cut or fully eliminate several housing programs such as the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership Program, along with other homeless assistance programs. In response, U.S. Conference of Mayors President David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City, released the following statement:
“We respect the overall desire for budget cuts, but these specific cuts would be harmful to the American people. For example, the proposed cuts to HOME and CDBG would put stable and accessible housing further out of reach for many Americans and would increase homelessness. Affordability is the major issue of the midterms, and these cuts would take our nation in the opposite direction.
“Fortunately, bipartisan members of Congress have long understood the value of CDBG, HOME and other related programs. These programs have enjoyed bipartisan support for decades, have produced measurable results, and are more effective because they include local decision-making.
“This is certainly not the first time an Administration has made such a proposal, and in the past, bipartisan coalitions in Congress have stepped up to preserve these critical programs. We encourage those bipartisan coalitions to speak again in defense of these programs, especially when housing affordability is the most pressing issue in our nation.”