We are writing to express our deep concern about funding cuts in Community Services Block Grants (CSBG) that will be in both the administration’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2012 and House Bill H.R. 1 passed by the House of Representatives February 19, 2011. The Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA) understands the nation’s budget deficit requires immediate attention. We do not feel, however, that substantially reducing the CSBG grants will have any major impact. Further, we believe that such action will impede rather than assist the country’s economic recovery.
Community action programs serve as the major vehicle by which our most vulnerable citizens receive vital services which assist them on the path toward economic stability. Community action programs created and retained 18,432 jobs over the past two years of which 525 were created and retained by CEDA.
CEDA is one of the 1,065 community action agencies in the United States. In FY 2010, CEDA assisted 240,000 households in Cook County, Illinois through a variety of services. CEDA has a network that includes Head Start centers, Women, Infant and Children (WIC) centers, LIHEAP and Home Weatherization partnerships and University joint projects. Moreover, every CSBG dollar is multiplied by 57 times over in private and other public funding. Our Head Start program leverages $7.00 for every $1.00 in federal government funding.
As you recall, the President stated in his State of the Union Address, “I recognize that some in this chamber have already proposed deeper cuts, and I’m willing to eliminate whatever we can honestly afford to do without. But let’s make sure that we’re not doing it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Reduction in CSBG funding will seriously damage already scarce community resources and will have a devastating impact.
CEDA, its Board of Directors and the 240,000 constituents we assist within the Cook County legislative districts, respectfully request that you vote to oppose any reductions in CSBG and support retaining full funding for Head Start, LIHEAP, Home Weatherization and all programs administered by Community Action Agencies
Respectfully,
Honorable Seth D. McCormick, Jr.
Chairperson, CEDA Board of Directors
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