Highlights of the President's Budget

May 11, 2009

President Obama’s itemized budget for FY2010 includes an innovative vision of meeting human needs and rebuilding distressed communities by using an integrated approach. Its release on May 7 means that House and Senate appropriations committees can develop detailed spending plans by combining his request with the House-Senate budget resolution.

The president’s detailed budget proposal funds services for children in their most fragile and impressionable years and reinforces a commitment to early childhood education, making more proactive provisions for our future leaders. The budget also provides new programs and various sources of funding to empower community organizations and partnerships that serve disadvantaged children and elderly people, homeless families, people with mental illness, and adults in job transition. While most increases are modest, funding does target groups who are some of the most vulnerable in our society. Below are some budget highlights of new and integrated programs requested.

Children and Youth will be served:

• $8.5 billion in mandatory funds over 10 years for home visitation programs that support disadvantaged families
• $300 million for the Early Learning Challenge Fund to foster wholesome growth and school readiness
• $122 million more in Head Start funding to expand services to nearly one million children.
• Newly funded programs such as Title I Early Childhood Grants, Early Learning Challenge Fund, and Striving Readers
• $10 million for Promise Neighborhoods modeled on the Harlem Children’s Zone
• High School Graduation Initiative program to keep teens in school
• 63% increase in funding for Youth Build to provide training and experience in construction trades to low-income youth.

Communities will be served holistically:

• $4.5 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Program, strengthening economic opportunities for low-income areas
• $250 million for Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, which funds community partnerships to transform communities of concentrated poverty through rehabilitated housing, transportation, job access, schools, and other services
• $150 million for HUD’s Sustainable Communities Initiative, which integrates transportation, housing, and land use to redevelop vulnerable communities
• $1 billion designated to the Housing Trust Fund to finance the development and renovation of affordable housing.

The president’s budget also increases funding for:

• Reintegrating people previously incarcerated
• Substance abuse treatment programs
• Mental health services for children and people who are homeless
• Teen pregnancy prevention
• Green jobs funding
• two new employment services
• State Access Health Grant program.

For more information: Budget Overview