Number: RL32823
Title: An Overview of the Administration's Strengthening America's Communities Initiative
Authors: Eugene Boyd, Bruce Mulock, and Pauline Smale, Government and Finance Division; Tadlock Cowan, Resources, Science, and Industry Division; Garrine Laney and Bruce Foote, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: The Bush Administration's FY2006 budget request included a proposal that recommended consolidating at least 18 existing community and economic development programs into a two-part "Strengthening America's Communities Initiative." The proposed base program would award funds in support of job creation and economic development. According to Administration documents, the core program would use such factors as job loss, unemployment, and poverty as criteria when determining eligibility. A bonus program (Economic Development Challenge Fund) modeled after the Millennium Challenge Account3 would allocate additional grant funds to distressed communities that have demonstrated efforts to improve economic conditions. As of this writing, the Administration has not proposed new legislative authority for this initiative.
Pages: 29
Date: March 7, 2006