Secretary Carson testified today before the Senate Appropriations Transportation and HUD (THUD) Subcommittee on the administration's FY18 budget and he will appear on the Hill tomorrow before the House THUD Appropriations Subcommittee .
The budget proposal would eliminate funding entirely for the National Housing Trust Fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships program, and the Community Development Block Grants program in addition to severely underfunding key programs that promote affordable housing and combat homelessness.
Our blog posts regarding the draft and final proposals and offering details on the Administration’s proposed cuts to specific housing and community development programs across numerous federal agencies and the Indiana impact can be found by clicking here and here.
Senate Hearing Notes:
Secretary Carson emphasized the need to make difficult decisions like a family with limited resources when pressed about the size of the budget cuts to /elimination of for critical community development funding. Several Committee members pressed Carson to square his testimony during his confirmation process about the need for compassion and resources for safe, affordable housing with the budget figures contained in the President’s budget.
Carson noted that in one area, lead abatement, there was an increase in funding and in other areas, they were trying to increase efficiencies, reduce waste and use federal investments as seed money to support local efforts instead of serving as the sole funder of many of these efforts. Some Senators pointed out leverage and match requirements in most HUD programs being slashed, but Carson reasserted the need to reign in spending responsibly. Much of the discussion centered around a largely bipartisan concern for cuts to the CDBG program. When asked specifically about cuts to homeless programs, Carson said that this is one area, “where our humanity must be evident and our commitment steadfast,” but he asserted that the proposal was not counterproductive to that goal. He argued that the prioritization of funding and programming changes are essential to achieve budget restraint and reach compassionate housing goals.
You can watch Secretary Carson testify by following the links below:
This post will be updated
