Prospect of losing CDBG funds feared.

By David Goldstein, The Kansas City Star, Mo. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 30--WASHINGTON -- Community development supporters fear that a key neighborhood-rebuilding program that has aided Kansas City and other local communities could face big budget cuts this year.

They are concerned over reports that the White House might want to shrink the Community Development Block Grant program by as much as 50 percent.

Given the increasing costs of the Iraq war and the projections of a record deficit, domestic programs are likely to be top targets for savings by the Bush administration. Longtime advocates for CDBG, as the program is known, …