Patchogue CDA Expects Reduced Funding

The Village of Patchogue (CDA) discussed the implications of recent cuts at their monthly meeting held on Thursday at .

Congress recently cut the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding 16.85 percent for the 2011 budget. The Patchogue CDA has not received confirmation from the County about the final figures of the budget cut. The Village's CDA Administrative Budget Line is going to be reduced, and a new contract is expected to be finalized around July.

"We will have more of a grasp on this at the June meeting, and will provide the board with information on what the impact will be," said Marian H. Russo, Esq., Executive Director of the Village of Patchogue CDA.

While there is sufficient funding in the Sidewalk and Parking Lot Improvement Line, which has $135,000 allocated to it, Russo's concern is the Administrative Line, which is to be cut by 13 percent.

"It will take money from the work that we do to make these projects happen," said Russo.

In light of recent events, she recommends cutting a percentage of the Sidewalk and Parking Line.

Another concern was if the HUD budget, which offsets the cost of vouchers for Section 8 housing, would be cut; this did not happen. The Patchogue CDA has authority to give out 172 vouchers, and is now up to 170, expending 99 percent of their specified funding.

For the previous five years HUD reimbursed 92 percent of the cost of Section 8. At this point it is already down to 78 percent.

"In Suffolk County we have the highest foreclosure rate in New York State, so the impact here will be great," Russo said.

Two vitally important programs that are run by the CDA are the CDBG and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, a Federal housing program which provides housing assistance to low-income renters and homeowners. Several agencies including Voices for Independence, Community Health Net and Stairways Behavioral Health have benefited from the CDBG funds. In addition, the money helps to repair streets, beautify parks and demolish dilapidated houses. Since the CDBG cut for Patchogue is expected to be approximately 17 percent, and their administration fee, which supports Section 8 housing, has been cut by 13 percent, this poses a serious threat to the continued efforts of the CDA on behalf of the Village of Patchogue.

"It limits our ability to carry out our mission, and it will cut back somewhat on our projects, or the extent of our projects that we hope to do," said Russo. "I think we'll be able to withstand the cuts this year; my biggest concern is what will happen next year."

The CDA's fear is that there will be further cuts in 2012, particularly to the CDBG, which enables their agency to do public improvement projects. Some recent examples are the completed , in addition to finishing work on the Walkway, and renovating the Patchogue Village in Shorefront Park.

"Part of the problem with the Community Development Block Grant is that sometimes it's hard to quantify the benefit of repairing a sidewalk or a walkway," said Russo. "You can't count the economic benefit to the community, or the number of people it helps. We know because we live here."

The CDA meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Patchogue Village Board Room. Their next meeting will be held on Thursday, June 2.