HUD: CDBG and HOME programs provide funds for the poorest Americans.

The most at risk members of our society.

They help build low income rental housing; provide much needed dollars for housing rehabilitation so the poor can live comfortably/safely now and to preserve housing for the future; help build community centers in places that need them; rehabilitate non-residential structures for new uses; help in the construction of public facilities, such as water and sewer improvements; provide support for people with HIV/Aids; supplement sevices for the poor elderly; rebuilds/or builds streets; help fund homeless shelters and transitional housing; and sidewalks so kids don't have to walk on the street.

Plus much much more. The local governments that administer these funds are given tremendous latitude in their use, there are guidelines, but it's up to cities states and counties to figure out what really matters to the people that they serve. This is obviously not a perfect system but it works very well in most places.

Jobs: The construction workers that work because of them; the people that are hired to administer them; non-profit shelter employees; the people that work for the companies that providehousing materials; counseling services; consulting; code enforcement types; etcetera.

The economic/social effects of these programs are everywhere. Everywhere...

And Generallisimo el Busho is going to crash them: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/14/MNGEOAQETV1.DTL

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The figures I guess.

I think I killed your thread with my positive Kerry post. Sorry. Maybe you should try again tomorrow and I promise I'll keep out! :)

...on the local level with HUD money.

The Kerry comment was apropo (sp) because the system we "live" in needs a housing trust. Certain states have that, like Florida (The SHIP program/Sadawsky Trust), but that's not enough or inclusive enough for a nation of 300,000,000.

http://www.nhtf.org

"In the Senate, Senator John Kerry (D-MA) has introduced S. 1411, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2003, with Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) as co-sponsor. Senator Kerry was the sponsor of National Housing Trust Fund legislation in the 107th Congress, which ended the Congressional session with a total of 29 cosponsors."

The ratbastard DLC corporate sell-out. (He's been promoting this for years, not just in 2003)