At one federal agency, it takes
money to spend money. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development recently announced it is spending $70 million to improve the
way its grant recipients spend billions in taxpayer cash.
Most of the $70 million will go to consulting companies that provide “technical assistance” to HUD-funded communities and non-profit organizations. The consultants will help the communities and nonprofits “improve their use of federal funds to revitalize neighborhoods, help the homeless and produce more affordable housing,” a May 15 new release said.
CNSNews.com asked a HUD official, “If I’m reading this correctly, this is a grant to teach people how to spend money they already have?”
“Absolutely,” responded HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan.
He said the $70 million is being spent to “amplify” the already-existing community development block grants handed out by HUD. In fiscal year 2012, those bock grants totalled around $3-billion.
The extra $70-million -- provided through HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development -- will help communities and non-profits “ensure that scarce federal dollars are targeted to where they are needed most,” HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez said in a news release.
“The grants we award today will go a long way toward ensuring federally funded community development, affordable housing and homeless assistance work to make the greatest possible impact,” she added.
The HUD news release mentioned “a budget climate where state and local governments are challenged to do more with less.”
HUD’s Sullivan told CNSNews.com, “Oftentimes, when you just deal with your own local community, you don’t take a wider look at the -- maybe the regional needs of a place.”
Most of the $70 million will go to consulting companies that provide “technical assistance” to HUD-funded communities and non-profit organizations. The consultants will help the communities and nonprofits “improve their use of federal funds to revitalize neighborhoods, help the homeless and produce more affordable housing,” a May 15 new release said.
CNSNews.com asked a HUD official, “If I’m reading this correctly, this is a grant to teach people how to spend money they already have?”
“Absolutely,” responded HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan.
He said the $70 million is being spent to “amplify” the already-existing community development block grants handed out by HUD. In fiscal year 2012, those bock grants totalled around $3-billion.
The extra $70-million -- provided through HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development -- will help communities and non-profits “ensure that scarce federal dollars are targeted to where they are needed most,” HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Marquez said in a news release.
“The grants we award today will go a long way toward ensuring federally funded community development, affordable housing and homeless assistance work to make the greatest possible impact,” she added.
The HUD news release mentioned “a budget climate where state and local governments are challenged to do more with less.”
HUD’s Sullivan told CNSNews.com, “Oftentimes, when you just deal with your own local community, you don’t take a wider look at the -- maybe the regional needs of a place.”
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