IN RECOGNITION OF THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 50
(Extensions of Remarks - March 21, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E325-E326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION'S 50TH
ANNIVERSARY
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HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER
of missouri
in the house of representatives
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Mr. CLEAVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the fiftieth
anniversary of the National Community Development Association (NCDA).
Since its genesis in 1969, the NCDA has been a pillar of support for
cities and counties across the country, including the Fifth
Congressional District of Missouri.
The NCDA is a nonpartisan, national, nonprofit organization that was
established to assist cities across the nation in administering the new
U.S. Housing and Urban Development funds and programs created through
President Johnson's Model Cities Program. In doing so, they rose to
help address the great disparities in housing options and opportunities
that had created racial and socioeconomic inequality in many of our
great American cities.
The NCDA represents cities on a federal level for programs such as
the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and HOME
Investment Partnerships, among a myriad of others. Specifically, the
NCDA has fought to improve local infrastructure and provide greater
accessibility to safe, decent, and affordable housing, as well as
greater economic opportunities. Through these initiatives, the
organization has expressed a commitment to providing tangible services
that will strengthen both families and communities across the country.
Through the NCDA's prestigious John Sasso Award and Audrey Nelson Award
for Best Practices in Community Development, they annually recognize
and celebrate significant contributions and solutions to affordable and
alternative housing projects through federal grants.
Moreover, as an integral part of the NCDA model, they respect
diversity and inclusion in leadership as a fundamental part of
effective leadership. Throughout their fifty years of service, the
organization sought to represent diversified backgrounds and
individualized expertise. They continue to include a wide variety of
organizations and individual voices as we collectively search for
solutions to urban difficulties and discover ways to implement greater
equity in housing as time moves forward. These voices are brought to
national attention each year at the National Community Development Week
hosted by the NCDA. This annual conference educates Members of Congress
on the achievements of federal programs like HOME and CDBG so that
these programs can continue to address a need for affordable housing
and community development.
Today, NCDA membership has grown to include over 400 separate cities
and counties. The organizations and governments represented across that
vast membership continue to carry out a centralized goal and purpose.
As they have been since day one, the NCDA continues to serve as a
united, national institution to provide services and support for local
governments and policy makers as they work on critical federal
community development and housing programs.
Madam Speaker, please join with Missouri's Fifth Congressional
District in honoring the National Community Development Association for
their remarkable achievements over the span of fifty years across the
nation and in our own community. We stand to celebrate their indelible
mark on our society.
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