Resolution 050115

..Title The City Council of Philadelphia calls on our Congressional Representatives and Federal Government to preserve the funding for the Community Development Block Grant program and other programs designed to assist community development in urban and rural areas. ..Body WHEREAS, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), is a program that provides essential federal investments to meet communities' needs for economic development, housing, public infrastructure improvements, parks and recreation facilities, and community centers; and WHEREAS, CDBG funds can be used to create housing opportunities to assist low-income and moderate- income residents of cities and towns to meet one of their most basic needs to achieve economic independence; and WHEREAS, The President has proposed the elimination of the CDBG program and consolidation of its funding with 18 other programs into the Department of Commerce with less funding than the original program; and WHEREAS, The CDBG program which has existed for 30 years for economic development, recreation centers, day-care facilities, literacy programs, and housing development; and WHEREAS, The former HUD programs will have to compete for resources in the Commerce department budgets; and WHEREAS, The Federal government is sending billions of dollars to other countries to develop their infrastructure, while simultaneously decreasing domestic spending for urban and rural areas; and WHEREAS, The budget would also cut $440 million in Safe and Drug-Free School grants, $500 million in education and technology state grants, $225 million for the Even Start literacy program, $280 million for the Upward Bound programs for inner-city youths. RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Calling upon our Federal Legislators to act in the best interest of the City. ..End