As we posted in May, Congress is moving forward with FY19 budget bills, including key votes in House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills that affect spending for housing and many community development programs.

House of Representatives

On May 23, the House Appropriations Committee advanced their THUD bill (details on our earlier blog post (click here)), only voting to adopt one amendment to increase funding for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program to the FY18 funding level. The FY19 funding bill provides $632 million to the program, compared to $678 million in the FY18 omnibus bill. 

There were also amendments offered increase funding for several programs (homeless assistance grants, public housing capital repairs and the HOME program), as well as amendments aimed at preventing HUD from implementing the Administration’s rent increase proposal, and an effort to limits HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, but those were all defeated. The bill will now proceed to the full House for consideration.

U.S. Senate

On Thursday, June 7, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to advance its FY19 THUD bill. The bill is stronger for housing programs than the House bill, providing $1.8 billion in additional funding – that works out to $12 billion above the president’s FY19 request and more than $1 billion above the House proposal.

The Senate bill:

• rejects any harmful rent increases
  
• does not impose work requirements or time limits
  
• Unlike the House bill that does not include sufficient funding to renew all vouchers, the Senate bill fully funds existing rental assistance contracts and provides new funding for 7,600 new vouchers aimed at veterans and youth aging out of foster care.
  

Programs that would maintain the Omnibus funding levels:

• The bill would renew all Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities ($154 million)
  
• Section 202 Housing for the Elderly ($678 million) and provides enough funding for new construction under Section 202.
  
• HOME Investment Partnerships program ($1.36 billion)
  
• Community Development Block Grants ($3.37 billion)
  

Programs receiving increases include:

• Public Housing ($2.78 billion for capital repairs and $4.76 billion for operating)
  
• Homeless Assistance Grants ($2.6 billion), Family Self-Sufficiency ($80 million),
  
• Healthy Homes & Lead Hazard Control ($260 million),
  
• The Office of Policy Development and Research ($100 million).
  

The only significant cut is to the Choice Neighborhoods program, which was cut by $50 million

We are urging Indiana’s Congressional delegation to support the Senate figures as the bills advance. Stay tuned for an action alert to join us in advocating in support of these critical programs.

For an updated chart of all of the spending bills, click here: http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/NLIHC_HUD-USDA_Budget-Chart.pdf

For questions or more information, contact our Policy Director, Kathleen Lara at klara@prosperityindiana.org.