Kane County assistance programs stuck in federal funding debate

Less affordable housing, fewer flood control projects, fewer new parks for children and more homeless people on the streets.

As Congress looks to trim the federal budget deficit during the next few weeks, those are some of the realities Kane County may face with Community Development Block Grant funds.

But the county can't tell if its funding will be cut or not, because new census numbers suggest Kane County, with 500,000 more people in 2010 than in 2000, should be in line for more money.

Scott Berger, who oversees the grant program for the county, is keeping the estimated funding total at $1.25 million for 2011, hoping just to break even in the long term.

“To be very frank with you,” Berger told county officials meeting Thursday, “we don't know what Congress is going to do with that proposal. It could end up looking very different. But the census data that just came out said our area grew faster than was assumed. I don't want to say it'll be a wash if there is a cut to the program, but it will be a compensating factor.”

President Barack Obama's 2012 budget calls for a 7.5 percent cut to the program. The 2011 budget for the federal government is still in limbo, but deadlines to apply for the community block grant money didn't change.

“What we're telling recipients is, ‘Good news, we're giving you money. But, asterisk, watch Washington, D.C.,' ” Berger said.

What that means is $45,000 targeted to help Habitat for Humanity purchase and rehab three homes could suddenly be $0 for no homes.

Or, more than $5,000 targeted at helping Geneva get its new Housing Commission up and running could vanish. The county considers Geneva one of the area's “least affordable communities.” The new commission is supposed to start addressing that.

A really deep budget cut could mean half the dollars targeted to create Chipstone Park in South Elgin, and possibly the park itself, would evaporate. Or, suddenly, there's no money to help the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry expand at a time when more people are turning to such outlets to feed their families.

But so far, Berger isn't sweating the talk of funding cuts.

“We know now, depending on where there's a surplus or a deficit in our fund, we can size a couple projects or more if necessary or eliminate a project if necessary,” Berger said. “We've never prepared like that before because we've never been in this particular situation.”