Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 100 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to express support for the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

The Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii; the Mayor of the County of Maui; the City and County of Honolulu Departments of Budget and Fiscal Services and Community Services; the County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development; the Kauai County Housing Agency; the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance; the ARC in Hawaii; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Institute for Human Services, Inc.; Safe Haven; and the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center submitted testimony in support of this measure.

The CDBG program has provided a flexible block grant that allows communities to prioritize their needs for public facilities, housing construction and rehabilitation, public services, and necessary infrastructure. All counties in the State have received CDBG grants and have utilized the money to provide much-needed facilities and services, especially benefiting the low- and moderate- income households.

Currently, the fiscal year 2006 budget offered by the presidential administration eliminates the CDBG program in its entirety by combining it with seventeen other programs, reducing its funding, and transferring the programs to the Department of Commerce — a department that has no experience in community development. Thus, this measure expresses the Legislature's strong support for the CDBG program and urges Hawaii's Congressional Delegation to oppose the elimination, reorganization, and funding reduction of this valuable program.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 100 and recommend its adoption.