President Donald Trump released his 2018 proposed budget Thursday, and it includes deep cuts.
Dozens of local government assisted programs that provide funding or services to people in the Mid-South are in jeopardy of losing their funding.
Among those programs include Memphis Housing Authority, Housing and Community Development of Memphis, HOME, Low Income Energy Assistance Program, Minority Business Development Agency and MIFA Meals on Wheels
“We are proposing a budget that would shrink the bloated federal bureaucracy, and I mean bloated,” President Trump mentioned at a recent rally.
“We do use community development block grants to pay for salaries, and a number of coffee projects should that funding be cut we at going to work with the administration to find ways to fill the gaps,” said Paul Young, Director of Housing and Community Development of Memphis.
Although the budget is a long way from being finalized or approved by Congress, the President’s proposal has some local agencies worried.
Although the budget is a long way from being finalized or approved, the president’s proposal has some local agencies worried.
“Obviously we are disappointed,” said Luke Yancy, CEO of Memphis Minority Business Development Agency, “We’ve helped minority and women-owned businesses get close to a billion dollars in contracts.”
Local programs and agencies are preparing for whatever the outcome may be.
“One, tell our story make sure the elected officials understand how beneficial our programs are and then work on plan B’s, thinking about other ways of being effective in this community,” Young said. “Having a tight budget is something we are used to and we know we always have to find ways to stretch our dollar each year and this next year will be no different.”
Elected officials also sound off about the President’s proposed budget. Representative Steve Cohen D-Memphis released this statement –
“President Trump’s FY2018 budget cuts vital programs for many Americans and will send America back to the 1950s, a time which might be revered by President Trump but was not so rosy for women, minorities and low-income Americans.”
