From Deseret News archives:
Charity programs fear impact of federal budget cuts
For St. Claire, executive director of the outreach program, a proposed cut in local community development block grants could mean the downfall of every Salt Lake County program geared toward helping the homeless or low-income.
"If any of us go under, it impacts all of us," St. Claire said. "If we close down, there's 800 people who don't have food. We're talking about lives. These people — who if we're not here — are not going to make it."
Catholic Community Services, which relies on about $235,000 in federal community development block grants distributed by Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County, is just one of the county's nonprofit agencies that could face serious cuts as part of President Bush's proposed federal budget.
Those groups gathered Wednesday to urge Utah senators and representatives to fight the budget proposal, which could halve Utah's $23 million CDBG dollars.
The nearly $1.5 billion reduction in grant money on the federal level could seriously impact the $2.7 million used for housing, substance abuse and after-school programs in the county, said Mike Gallegos, director of the county's division of community resources and development.
About 50 percent of Salt Lake County's nonprofit groups would be forced to shut down if Bush's cuts are approved, he said.
"They would cut services or the organizations would not exist, and some of these programs have been in the community for years and years," Gallegos said.
Part of Bush's grant funding plan would also consolidate the program with 17 other federal initiatives, which Gal-legos said could mean areas like Salt Lake County get lost in the mix and lose all their funding.
The new approach, he said, is geared more toward highly populated urban areas on the East coast.
Losing community programs like the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA and The Road Home could drastically alter the county's ability to provide community services and quality of life to its residents, Mayor Peter Corroon said.
"Local government can best determine community development needs," Corroon said.
With CDBG dollars, Corroon said the county has helped more than 80,000 residents in the past five years, completing 10 senior centers and 15 parks and building 3,000 new low-income rental units.
About 35 percent of the funding goes toward housing in Salt Lake County, with another 45 percent funneled to community facilities.
One of the largest beneficiaries of that funding is the Murray Boys & Girl's Club, which received $163,950 from county CDBG grants this year.
