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Once again, NCDA was the first organization to provide its members with their CPD annual allocations on December 19, 1997. They became available first on the NCDA web site, thanks to our very own Webmaster Jim Welfley, then out to members on hard copy by December 22, 1997.
FY 1999 BUDGET INFORMATION
While much information on the FY 1999 proposed budget is sketchy, there are a few details that have been confirmed. Gene Sperling, Assistant to the President on Economic Policy, said in a New York Times article that he thinks that people will regard this as the best HUD budget in over a decade. Exactly what that statement means and whom the budget will benefit is still largely unknown. Reported increases include funding for 100,000 new vouchers and certificates including a set-aside for homeless and for welfare-to-work, adequate resources for Section 8 renewals and another round of EZ/EC and Homeownership Zones funds.
Of significant note is the increase in Homelessness funding. HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo won an appeal of the OMB "passback" convincing President Clinton to increase Homeless programs from $823 million in FY 1998 to $1.15 billion for FY 1999. This figure includes $192 million for 34,000 Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and $956 million for the continuum of care Super NOFA for FY 1999. Also of note in HUD's proposed budget is the HOME allocation. It appears that HUD asked for $1.6 billion for HOME funding, with housing for special populations, the Section 811 program for disabled person and the Section 202 program for the elderly, combined within HOME. In reviewing the numbers and the draft language, it appears that these two programs, with a combined value of $474 million, have been requested to become set-asides within the HOME program. These is also language from OMB in its response to HUD's budget request that suggest that the President may be able to add back the $191 million to the HOME program and bring it back to FY 1998 funding levels. We won't know exactly HUD's budget will look like until the President submits the budget to Congress on February 6, 1998.
How Much of a Budget Surplus will there be in FY 1999?
Political analysts of all shapes and sizes have been speculating on this very issue since before the holidays. From all accounts, the U.S. Government is operating with balanced budget. The current estimates of the FY 1998 surplus is $5 billion. For the first time in three decades, the United States Government will not spend more than it takes in. The President has confirmed that he will propose a balanced budget which will allow him to marginally increase domestic spending, continue deficit reduction practices and, perhaps, provide some form if a tax relief to the middle class. If in fact there are additional monies available, the big question on the minds of politicians and community development practitioners is "What are they going to do with the extra money, and how can we capitalize on that decision?"
The general consensus is that Congress will propose some kind of tax cut and that the President wants to increase funding for child care and education programs. If there is a budgetary surplus, what will most likely occur is a compromise of some nature, with the President and Congress getting some of what each wants. Whether community development practitioners will realize any benefit from this "alleged" surplus is unclear. Five billion dollars is not a large sum when one considers that the total budget is in excess one and one-half trillion dollars. HUD's budget was increased in FY 1998 by $5 billion dollars from FY 1997. It is likely to be increased again in FY 1999 for homeless programs. Both CDBG and HOME received an increase in FY 1998, and both had significant increases in set-asides. We don't know if either of these programs will receive further increases. We can only hope that the level of set-asides in each of these programs will be reduced.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WEEK
NCDA is pleased to announce that the 12th annual National Community Development Week campaign will be held from April 6 - 12, 1998.
This year's theme, "CDBG NOW: FOR THE FUTURE", incorporates how modern and futuristic technologies will continue to highlight the services CDBG provides to communities across the nation. The annual CD Week Guidebook will be available January 26, 1998. It will distributed to the membership on that date and presented at the NCDA Winter Meeting on January 29-31, 1998. Please let us know how your community plans to participate by returning the form to NCDA by February 15, 1998. (NOTE: Please provide NCDA with a street address when placing your order. UPS will not deliver to a P.O. number.)
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Reminder: |
Public/Private Partnerships: Linking Lenders and Developers With Local Government is now being distributed to all NCDA members (a copy is enclosed). The guidebook highlights the activities of five communities that have forged positive working relationships with their local lenders and/or developers in order to advance community revitalization strategies. The activities are described through six case studies written by Connie Lorig (Colorado Springs, CO), Michael Goodman (Los Angeles, CA), Sally Richman (Los Angeles, CA), Thomas Argust (Rochester, NY), Fernando Noriega, Jr. (Tampa, FL) and Jay Smith (San Francisco, CA).
The guidebook was prepared by NCDA through a cooperative agreement with HUD and the National Affordable Housing Training Institute (NAHTI), of which NCDA is a member. For additional copies, please contact Jim Welfley of NCDA by phone (202.293.7587) or through e-mail (jim@ncdaonline.org).
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES $184 MILLION NOFA
The Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the first round of competitive grants a two-year Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grant program enacted und the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The WtW program assists states and local communities to provide the transition employment assistance needed to move hard-to-employ recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) into lasting unsubsidized jobs. WtW grants are designed to assist those TANF recipients, as well as certain noncustodial parents, who have experienced, or have characteristics associated with long-term welfare dependence. This announcement describes the conditions in which the applications will be received under the WtW Competitive Grants Program and how DOL/ETA will fund applications. The closing date for this competition is 2:00 p.m., March 10, 1998. Mail applications to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration, Division of Acquisition Assistance, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210, Attention Mr. Willie Harris, SGA/DAA 98-004.
HUD PROVIDES SPARE SPRINT IDs AND PASSWORDS FOR IDIS
| As promised, HUD has release additional Sprint IDs and passwords. Laura
Shiffer, who works at accommodating grantees with their IDIS woes has done
it again. According to the e-mail NCDA received from her,".. any of these
[the following] passwords can serve hundreds of users, even simultaneously."
Laura says that accessing the IDIS during off-peak hours seems to allow
the passwords to work on the first try.
She has asked for a revision in the Sprintlink system so that the user's
14-character Sprint ID can be saved from session to session, so our users
will only have to key in the six-digit Sprint password. She has also asked
that the option to change the Sprint password be eliminated, so people
can't change a Sprint password by mistake or mischief. To the right are
the Sprint ID numbers and passwords.
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| HUD made available the number of metropolitan cities, urban counties, consortia and states that participate in the HOME Investment Partnerships Program: |
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On January 22, 1998 HUD will convene a panel to discuss creating partnerships between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector to encourage redevelopment of brownfield sites. The panelist include Michael Barr, from the U.S. Department of Treasury; Linda Garczynski, EPA, and Stan Gimont, of CPD's Financial Management Division. Each panelist will provide input from their agency's perspective on the resources available for financing Brownfields reevelopment. The initial broadcast will take place at 11:30 a.m. EST and then rebroadcast at 2:30 p.m. EST. HUD will be visiting three sites in Dallas, Chicago and Baltimore to highlight how these communities are marketing brownfield sites and the tax incentives that can be offered to developers. To find a viewing site in your area, contact Community Connections at 1-800-998-9999.
HUD APPOINTMENT
Kevin Marchman has received a recess appointment as HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. The appointment will allow Marchman to serve in the position through 1998. He has been Acting Assistant Secretary since 1995.
NCDA NOTES
PAL Will Soon be Online, but We Need Your Help
Since 1989, NCDA's Peer Assistance Line (PAL) has been an effective
tool for helping members find and communicate with members who have an
expertise in a specific aspect of community development. Within the next
month, it will become even more effective — but only with your help!
Currently, NCDA members take advantage of PAL by contacting NCDA headquarters and asking for a list of members who have experience in one of over 80 areas of community development, such as housing rehabilitation, job training or enterprise zones. NCDA staff then queries the PAL database and sends the member the list. When PAL goes online — that is, becomes accessible through NCDA's web site (http://www.ncdaonline.org) — members will simply accesses the easy-to-use PAL web page and query the database for themselves.
Unfortunately, queries only yield a handful of names at this point, as NCDA members have been remiss in submitting their areas of expertise. Please take the time to fill out the enclosed PAL brochure and mail or fax (202.887.5546) it back.
Posting Job Announcements
NCDA staff is ever willing to include position vacancies of member
communities in the NCDA Washington Report. To better assist members
as well as staff, we are asking member communities to e-mail position vacancies
to Karen Means, karen@ncdaonline.org,
whenever possible. If you are not set up for e-mail, please fax them to
Karen . Having an electronic copy also makes it easier to post the position
on NCDAonline.
FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES
Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration: Notice of Funding Availability; solicitation for grant applications. December 30, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 249) [Pages 67902-67918]
JOIN US FOR THE NCDA WINTER MEETING!!!!
This year's winter meeting is almost upon us, and IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER!!! We have secured many exciting speakers that will discuss interesting topics. We have invited HUD's Community Planning and Development Assistant Secretary Saul Ramirez, who will provide the membership with his vision for CPD over the next three years. We also have a demonstration of HUD's new mapping software, Community 2020, and we have confirmed Massachusetts Congressman, Barney Frank (D) as the keynote speaker at the Audrey Nelson Awards Luncheon. We will also use this meeting to launch NCDA's annual National Community Development Week Campaign!!!! Please plan to attend, we need your support!!! (See Winter Meeting Highlights below.)
Wednesday, January 28
4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Executive Committee Meeting
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, January 29
8:00 - 8:30 a.m. New Member Orientation. New NCDA members will meet the staff and members of the board of directors and be briefed on the benefits of NCDA membership.
8:30 - 9:30 Opening General Session: HUD Assistant Secretary Saul Ramirez (invited). HUD'S CPD Assistant Secretary Ramirez has been invited to discuss his vision for the Office of Community Planning and Development.
9:30 - 10:30 Congressional Briefing. Congressional Staff will discuss with the group FY 1999 Appropriations and Authorizations issues.
10:30 - 11:00 Presentation of Disaster Relief Guidebook to FannieMae.
11:00 - 12:00 NCDA Legislative Policy Forum. This discussion will center around NCDA's strategy for the upcoming legislative budgetary cycle, to include CDBG and HOME set-aside strategy.
1:30 - 3:30 Congressional & Agency Visits. Members are able to use this time during the meeting to visit with Congressional Staff and Federal Agency personnel.
3:30 - 4:30 NCDA Committee Meetings
Community Development, Technology, Housing, Economic Development, and
Professional Development
Friday, January 30
9:00 - 11:00 HUD Briefings. HUD staff from the CDBG Entitlement Division, and the Affordable Housing Division will brief the group on pertinent issues relating to CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA.
11:00 - 12:00 Community 2020 Software Demonstration. A demonstration on how to use HUD's new neighborhood and demographic mapping software that assists grantees with their planning activities will be provided. Presenters will include HUD's expert on the software and NCDA members.
12:00 - 2:00 Audrey Nelson Awards Luncheon. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) has been invited to give the keynote at this annual awards ceremony.
2:00 - 3:30 Concurrent Sessions:
9:30 - 10:30 Closing Session: Committee Reports. Each Committee Chair will report to the group the results of their meetings.
10:30 - 1:00 Professional Development Session. How to Maintain Quality Services, and High Employee Morale in this Era of "Downsizing." Richard Kennedy, Director of the Office of Block Grant Assistance within the Community Planning and Development Division will lead the discussion.
1:00 Adjourn
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