YouthBuild receives needed funding; U.S. House gives $50 million toward national program

June 30, 2005
By Bob Holliday

BLOOMINGTON - YouthBuild, which was in danger of losing some of its federal funding next year, has received a reprieve.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday earmarked $50 million for the nationwide program, of which YouthBuild McLean County is a part.

It's less than the $62.5 million threatened by a funding glitch, but it's better than nothing, said Sharistan Melkonian, a spokeswoman for the national YouthBuild Coalition.

After action in the House, the matter will go to the Senate and eventually to a conference committee.

"We're hoping to get it all done by the end of July," Melkonian said.

Earlier this week, concern arose that some of the 226 YouthBuild programs nationwide would have to close because of the funding problem.

Dorothy Stoneman, president of YouthBuild USA , said the glitch occurred when the Bush administration decided to move funding for YouthBuild from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Department of Labor.

However, YouthBuild officials said the money didn't get appropriated either place.

Suzanne Fitzgerald, executive director of YouthBuild McLean County , said the approximate $350,000 per year in question for the McLean County program represented about 27 percent of the program's $1.2 million operating budget.

Even without the funding, the McLean County program wouldn't be in danger of folding, she said, but might have to reduce services.

On Wednesday, Fitzgerald was ecstatic. "That (restoring funding) is what I was hoping for," she said.

Phil Bloomer, press secretary to U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson of Urbana , said the Republican was among those voting to correct the glitch by putting funding into the HUD budget.

"YouthBuild is a valuable program," Bloomer said.