Senators Hassan, Shaheen Reaffirm Commitment to Protecting Funding for NH Community Development Block Grants

Senators Hassan, Shaheen Reaffirm Commitment to Protecting Funding for NH Community Development Block Grants

CONCORD - Today, Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen held a press conference at the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), where they highlighted the positive impact Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) have had on New Hampshire's people, communities, and economy, and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting funding for the program.

The Senators were joined by CDFA Executive Director Taylor Caswell, and representatives from organizations that have benefited from New Hampshire Community Development Block Grant funding, including Grafton Economic Development, Second Start, and the Concord YMCA.

Last week, the CDFA announced that funding is being suspended for several New Hampshire Community Development Block Grant projects due to the Republican leadership's decision to only pass a short-term budget, which expires at the end of the month.The funding for New Hampshire Community Development Block Grants is also threatened by President Trump's proposed budget, which plans to entirely eliminate the program.

"Community Development Block Grants in New Hampshire help fund essential programs for some of our most vulnerable people, including those living with addiction and child abuse survivors," Senator Hassan said. "It is unacceptable for Granite Staters to suffer because Republicans in Washington continue to play partisan games with the budget and because of President Trump's reckless budget proposal, which would entirely eliminate the Community Development Block Grant program. I will continue to work across the aisle to address both short- and long-term threats to this program so that the Community Development Finance Authority has the funding it needs to support critical projects across the state that strengthen our people, our communities, and our economy."

"The CDBG program has a long record of helping spur economic development in New Hampshire communities and providing families with quality, affordable housing," said Senator Shaheen. "This funding is threatened on two fronts: from a budget process in Congress that is broken and from President Trump, who has proposed eliminating this program entirely. Republican leadership need to provide certainty to federal programs going forward and it's time for the Trump administration to go back to the drawing board on its budget. I've always sought bipartisan cooperation to find savings across the federal government but this can done without disproportionately targeting programs that are so important to New Hampshire."

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