COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS GEORGE H. MAHON, Texas, Chairman JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachusetts GEORGE E. SHIPLEY, Illinois ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut BOB CASEY, Texas DAVID PRYOR, Arkansas FRANK E. EVANS, Colorado DAVID R. OBEY, Wisconsin EDWARD R. ROYBAL, California WILLIAM D. HATHAWAY, Maine NICK GALIFIANAKIS, North Carolina LOUIS STOKES, Ohio J. EDWARD ROUSH, Indiana K. GUNN MCKAY, Utah WILLIAM GERALD BOLING GEORGE E. EVANS THOMAS J. KINGFIELD FRANK T. BOW, Ohio CHARLES R. JONAS, North Carolina SILVIO O. CONTE, Massachusetts J. KENNETH ROBINSON, Virginia PAUL M. WILSON, Clerk and Staff Director NOTE. This Surveys and Investigations supervisory staff is supplemented by selected personnel borrowed on a reimbursable basis for varying lengths of time from various agencies to staff up specific studies and investigations. This current average annual fulltime personnel equivalent is approximately 42. GERARD J. CHOUINARD JANET LOU DAMERON BEATRICE T. DEW PAUL V. FARMER DANIEL V. GUN SHOWS ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT GEMMA M. HICKEY LAWRENCE C. MILLER (II) FRANCIS W. SADY MARY ALICE SAUER DALE M. SHULAW AUSTIN G. SMITH RANDOLPH THOMAS SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1972 SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUD-SPACE-SCIENCE-VETERANS JOE L. EVINS, Tennessee ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut DAVID PRYOR, Arkansas J. EDWARD ROUSH, Indiana CHARLES R. JONAS, North Carolina G. Homer Skarin, Hunter L. Spillan, and Paul Thomson, Staff Assistants TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1972. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT WITNESSES HON. GEORGE ROMNEY, SECRETARY SAMUEL C. JACKSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT CLIFFORD W. GRAVES, ACTING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT GRANTS JACK WOOLLEY, ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY FOR CONGRESSIONAL RELATIONS NATHANIEL J. EISEMAN, DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET OFFICER COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING GRANTS Mr. BOLAND. The committee will come to order. This morning we will take up the supplementary request of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Management with respect to Comprehensive Planning Grants. As your justification indicates, this is a request for a supplemental appropriation of $40,645,000. This supplementary request, combined with the $59,355,000 that was appropriated in the bill for 1972 would equal the $100 million which was requested in your original 1972 budget. PROGRAM SIMPLIFICATION You will recall that in last year's hearings on this particular item, the committee was concerned about simplifying the program procedures. You indicate in your justification that you are simplifying the procedures. I recall an agency that participates in this program came in last year with a stack of forms that was incomprehensible, it must have (1) been a foot or two high. This committee did express a concern but you, Mr. Secretary, have also been expressing this concern, not only in this program but in all the programs that HUD has been engaged in. We are delighted that you have moved ahead in this area and have cut back the processing time from 18 weeks to about 12 weeks. We are delighted to have you and your staff with us this morning. We will be glad to hear you. GENERAL STATEMENT Secretary ROMNEY. Mr. Chairman, I just have a very brief statement that I might make. Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee: When the Congress acted on our 1972 appropriation request of $100 million for the Comprehensive Planning Grant program last year, we lacked sufficient statutory authority for the full amount requested. Given this situation, the full free balance of the available authorization-amounting to $59,355,000-was appropriated at that time. The Congress subsequently enacted additional authorizing legislation for $50 million in Senate Joint Resolution 176 just before the end of the first session last December. I certainly appreciate the prompt scheduling of this hearing on our request for a supplemental appropriation of $40.6 million which is proposed to enable us to carry out the full $100 million program proposed in the 1972 budget. We have described in our justification several steps we have taken to simplify the administration of the 701 Comprehensive Planning program. LETTER FROM COUNCIL OF STATE PLANNING AGENCIES Mr. Chairman, I would like to take the time to read here a letter that we just received from the president of the Council of State Planning Agencies. He also happens to be the Director, Office of Planning and Program Coordination, in the State of Massachusetts. Mr. BOLAND. I have a copy of the letter and would be delighted to have you read it. I notice the third paragraph indicates that they are pleased with what has happened. Secretary ROMNEY. Yes. Without reading the whole letter, we might submit it for the record. Mr. BOLAND. Why don't you read it for the record? THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS, You will recall that last spring, CSPA spokesman expressed to the Congress deep concern over the time consuming application procedure for the HUD 701 program, and urgently requested the streamlining of such procedures. The Massachusetts 701 application, which ran to over 650 pages, is a significant exhibit. I am very pleased to report that as a result of speedy and vigorous action of HUD last summer, carried on in cooperation with the various types of agencies receiving HUD 701 support, the revised guidelines on 701 applications enabled part of the current Massachusetts application (comparable to last year's giant) to be contained in 37 pages-approximately 95 percent reduction of last year's. Consequently, the Council of State Planning Agencies vigorously endorses the fiscal year 1972 supplemental budget request for $41 million which is urgently needed to support State, regional, and largecity planning at a time when increasingly heavy demands are being placed on all these agencies by various Federal initiatives, and the President's and your welcome policy change of decentralization. Without the supplemental budget items, all these agencies will have substantial cutbacks on the Federal funds available in fiscal year 1971. Sincerely, ROBERT H. MARDEN, President, Council of State Planning Agencies. PURPOSE OF SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST Now, I would like to emphasize that, as the title suggests, we are dealing with a comprehensive planning program, one that provides a framework for individual management and development decisions. In recognition of this, we have already discontinued other planning programs principally community renewal planning under the urban renewal program-to bring our planning activities together in a single coherent program. A fundamental consideration is the necessity to increase the planning and management capacity of States, area wide agencies, and local governments. These funds are requested to assist all levels of Government in building their capacity to make well-informed policy decisions, to develop intelligent long-range priorities, to allocate their Federal, State, and local resources wisely and effectively, and to coordinate complex areawide, State, and interstate community development activities. We are making this supplemental appropriation request now in order to provide an added impetus with our comprehensive planning grants program. The supplemental funds will provide added assistance to currently participating units of government, especially to States. About $12.3 million out of the supplemental goes to the States. And I want to emphasize my conviction that the States are vital participants in the process of rural and urban growth, as are the other units of government. Very importantly, the requested funds will allow many cities (particularly cities over 50,000 in population), counties, and nonmetropolitan area wide agencies to participate in the program for the first time. And again, I believe the addition of these new participants is vital to orderly rural and urban growth. Our emphasis is on a true comprehensive planning process-one that ties together planning, decisionmaking, and action. I think we are making strides toward our new objectives of: Providing broader and more flexible support for governments to build up their capacity to plan and administer programs effectively and responsively. Focusing on the chief executives who are responsible to the citizens for the conduct of governmental activities. Emphasizing the linkage between planning and actual implementation. In summary then, the key elements of need which lead to this supplemental request are: The expanding number of planning agencies, both in local governments and in area wide agencies, and increasing assistance to existing participants. Expanding the number of cities of over 50.000 population assisted. The increasing emphasis on management aspects of planning to strengthen State, metropolitan, and local decisionmaking capabilities. I urge your prompt action on this supplemental request so that we can meet these needs. We would be very happy to answer any questions that the committee may have. JUSTIFICATION MATERIAL COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING GRANTS Mr. BOLAND. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. We will insert the justifications in the record at this point. (The justifications follow :) |