Despite Trump, 3 NJ Counties To Get More CDBG Funds: Congressman

Despite the Trump Administration’s failed bid to completely gut Community and Development Block Grant (CDBG) monies as part of its 2018 federal budget proposal, three New Jersey counties are due for a much-welcomed funding bump this fiscal year, one of the state’s most powerful Republicans says.

On Friday, U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (District 11), the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, announced that Morris, Essex and Passaic counties – along with the townships of Bloomfield, Parsippany-Troy Hills and Wayne – will receive an increase in CDBG funding above their FY 2017 levels.

Frelinghuysen’s home district includes towns in Essex, Morris, Passaic and Sussex counties.

The CDBG program provides annual grants to state and local governments to develop “viable urban communities” by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income people.

While the CDBG program is not particularly well-known, the president’s proposed, $3 billion cut would have hurt Meals on Wheels and many smaller-scale revitalization projects that build community centers, libraries and infrastructure improvements in needy areas. The Legal Services Corporation, which helps poor people fight civil legal battles, and the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which helps provide affordable housing, would have also gotten the ax under the Trump Administration’s proposal.

• See related article: 7 Things To Know About President Trump's Stark Budget Proposal
• See related article: CDBG Program Elimination Would Have Devastating Ripple Effects, Ocean County Group Says[u1]

Frelinghuysen said that the overall FY 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act provides $3.3 billion for CDBG, which is $300 million above the previous levels in FY 2017.

“I was pleased that we were able to boost funding for this important program, even as the President proposed eliminating CDBG altogether,” Frelinghuysen said.

The state of New Jersey will also receive $6.7 million in CDBG funding for FY 2018, Frelinghuysen said. The FY 2018 CDBG awards also include the following awards:

• Essex County - $5,192,314
• Morris County - $1,932,888
• Passaic County - $849,041
• Bloomfield - $994,311
• Parsippany-Troy Hills - $241,311
• Wayne - $184,046

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