Aligning Resources and Results: The President's FY 2014 Budget

On Wednesday, April 10th, President Obama released his Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Budget, which outlines the administration’s policy agenda and budget request for federal spending in the upcoming year and sets the tone for the national policy agenda moving forward. The federal budget becomes the guide by which every major spending and revenue decision is made, making it one of the largest policy vehicles for supporting children and families. While the process this year has been a bit unorthodox, with the Senate and House releasing their FY14 budget proposals before the White House released their budget request, the stakes for children and families remain incredibly high and the benefit of collaboration is not only clear but, in some cases, will be required.

As a result of sequestration, which went into effect in March 2013, federal agencies have already cut back on their programs and services. The President’s FY14 budget, however, replaces the sequester. Nevertheless, key programs that impact children, families and communities have taken a hit when it comes to funding. The President’s FY14 budget proposal provides an important opportunity to emphasize how and why policymakers and community members should work together to maximize resources and ensure that supports for children and families are sustained.

In CSSP’s new brief “Aligning Resources and Results: How Policymakers and Communities Can Collaborate to Improve Neighborhood Outcomes” we highlight the Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP), a program under the Administration’s signature Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI). The goal of BNCP is to help neighborhoods develop the capacity they need to enable residents, civic leaders, the public and private sectors and local organizations to identify neighborhood needs and implement sustainable solutions. In this budget brief, we highlight the progress and efforts taking shape in Milwaukee, where partnerships between community members and local policymakers are setting the stage for the needs of two neighborhoods to finally be met after years of being overlooked. The brief outlines the importance of collaboration between policymakers and community members – and serves as a good resource for those working to collaborate around a shared set of results.

The President’s FY14 budget includes funding for key programs that impact communities, including funding for many NRI programs.  Key funding includes:

• Race to the Top: $1 billion 
• Promise Neighborhoods: $ 300 million 
• Community Health Centers: $3.8 billion 
• Choice Neighborhoods: $400 million 
• Community Development Block Grant: $3 billion 
• Housing Choice Voucher Program: $20 billion 
• Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program: $35 million
• Second Chance Act: $119 million 
• Youth Violence Prevention: $332 million 
• Workforce Innovation Fund: $150 million
• Pathways Back to Work Fund: $12.5 billion 

Additional Resources

• PolicyForResults.org
• Building Neighborhood Capacity Program Resource Center
• Policy Basics: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
• Federal Budget Vocabulary Tip Sheet
• Aligning Resources and Results: How Policymakers and Communities Collaborated to Create a National Program
• Federal Budget Basics