Community Development

Comprehensive Approaches and Local Flexibility Issues Gao ID: T-RCED-96-53 December 5, 1995

The Local Empowerment and Flexibility Act of 1995 would give greater flexibility to local governments and private nonprofit groups using federal programs to help communities and their residents. The proposed legislation would create a council composed of cabinet-level officials to review and approve local plans for integrating federal funds to meet the needs of a specific geographic area. This testimony is based on a February 1995 GAO report (GAO/RCED/HEHS-95-69) that discussed the comprehensive approaches involving resident participation that community groups have used to address housing, economic, and social service needs in distressed neighborhoods. GAO discusses (1) why community development experts advocate a comprehensive approach, (2) what challenges they see to advocate a comprehensive approach, and (3) how the federal government might support comprehensive approaches.



The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.