New Haven Independent

The boys represented one of almost 80 public service organizations at City Hall Tuesday night vying for a slice of the federal Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) annually awarded to New Haven. This money has been steadily dwindling for the past two years, the consequences of which quickly became apparent at the City Hall meeting.

Representatives of non-profit after non-profit sat before nine members of the joint aldermanic Community Development and Human Services Committees and recounted the blows reduced funding would inflict upon their organizations.

Though last year’s grant, at $4.8 million, was 10 percent less than the prior year’s, New Haven managed to fill the gaps with previously unspent CDBG money. Now that all spendable money has been spent, New Haven faces the consequences of funding cuts.

Leeway, an HIV/AIDS non-profit providing both inpatient care and community services, would cut drug counseling programs. All of New Life Spiritual Enlightenment’s funding sources are quickly drying up, prompting the faith-based counseling center to fear its doors may soon close. With a waxing real estate market and waning CDBG money, New Haven Home Recovery, a housing program for families affected by HIV/AIDS, will have no choice but to decrease its number of rental units.

While the non-profit representatives expressed gratitude for both proposed and past funding, a growing sense of desperation permeated their presentations. Other federal programs, as well as private foundations, have been tightening their purse-strings lately, which has spelled an immediate threat to many of New Haven’s low-budget organizations.

So Tuesday night’s audience banked on the fact that the proposed Public Services budget, to be implemented in 2008, is still open to rearrangement. But East Rock Alderman Edward Mattison was quick to remind people that the Public Services dollar amount is fixed and more money in one area inevitably means less in another.

Despite the dire circumstances, New Haven community workers are a driven breed. Several organizations invited residents who have benefited from their programs to speak to the committee. A patient from Leeway, a refugee aided by Interfaith Refugee Ministries’ health care work, and a high school girl involved in Centro San Jose’s after-school programs heartily represented their respective non-profits. Delmarte Deley and Robert Folson’s report cards speak for themselves. With final deliberations looming at the end of February, New Haven aldermen face three weeks of tough trade-offs.