Locals could lose funding

Local officials are carefully watching development of President Donald Trump’s budget, the final draft of which should be released in May, to determine the effects it may have for better or worse on a variety of federal programs.

One in particular is the Community Development Block Grant program, which is handled through the auspices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While nothing in the budget is final at this point, total elimination could prove problematic for social safety nets that are administered locally.

According to official documents from the Office of Management and Budget, the 2017 proposed budget eliminate “funding for the Community Development Block Grant program, a savings of $3 billion.”

“The Federal Government has spent over $150 billion on this block grant since its inception in 1974, but the program is not well-targeted to the poorest populations and has not demonstrated results,” the OMB draft says. “The budget devolves community and economic development activities to the State and local level, and redirects Federal resources to other activities.”

The budget, in the same section, eliminates or severely reduces what it calls “lower priority programs.”

Terrebonne Parish received $840,989 in CDBG money last year, much of it used for housing programs. Terrebonne and Lafourche are both referred to “entitlement” jurisdictions, meaning they get their own direct infusion of CDBG money rather than having it filter through the state, as some small municipalities do. Thibodaux has received grants through the state as a result of the program in the past, although it is not on the list of municipalities to receive the money this year. Those programs often pay for infrastructure needs like sewage.

Some CDBG money has been used for recovery from storms and floods, although local officials say that how such money is distributed – through FEMA – will be affected by the budget.

Among programs that local residents have utilized now on the chopping block are HOME funding, which aids families with lower incomes in purchasing or upgrading housing.

Last year Terrebonne Parish received $756,429.24 for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps pay utility bills. According to information culled from applications, many of the recipients are senior citizens.

A total of $143,790.81 has been paid out for the Weatherization Assistance Program, utilized by low income homeowners.

Terrebonne Parish President Gordon Dove says he is paying attention, but not ready to hit the panic button.

“Absolutely,” said Dove, whose experience as a state legislator tells him this stage of the process is not a time for the biggest concern. “I am waiting to see how the final budget comes out, and how it goes through the House of Representatives and the Senate. A lot of things are submitted strictly for leverage, so I never weigh a bill or a budget when it first comes out.”

Comprehensive listings of how the affected money is distributed has not been done since 2014. Darrel Waire, Terrebonne’s Housing and Human Services director, said the numbers have not significantly changed since then.

Overall, 28 Terrebonne households have qualified for CDBG funding, and two Head Start classrooms are funded by the program, the tabulations show. A total of 86 people have received homeless shelter services.

The proposed Trump budget overall seeks to move money from federal social programs and move it into the military and other areas the President says are in keeping with the federal government’s mission.

“State and local governments are better positioned to serve their communities based on local needs and priorities,” the budget draft states. ∙

Donald Trump