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House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves FY 2021 Bill Increasing HUD Program Funding Levels

Published on July 8, 2020 by Garth Rieman
House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves FY 2021 Bill Increasing HUD Program Funding Levels

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies today passed its fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bill, which would provide substantial increases for regular annual appropriations for HUD programs in FY 2021 and additional appropriations for several HUD programs to foster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and support infrastructure development. Key program funding levels are listed below.

The House Appropriations Committee is likely to approve the subcommittee-passed bill next week. House leaders have said they hope to complete House floor action on the HUD bill and as many other FY 2021 appropriations bills as possible by the end of July.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also was planning to mark up its FY 2021 funding bills early this summer but has postponed subcommittee markups indefinitely because of disagreements over potential Democratic amendments to those bills.

The House Subcommittee-passed bill includes legislative provisions that would:

  • Block the administration’s “mixed-status” rule that would limit eligibility for undocumented immigrants in federally-assisted housing;
  • Prevent HUD from moving forward with its proposed amendments to the Equal Access Rule, which would allow homeless shelters lawfully operating as single-sex or sex-segregated facilities to limit admissions for individuals whose gender identity does not match their biological sex; and
  • Prohibit the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness from spending funds to promote homelessness interventions that do not support evidence-based interventions such as Housing First.

The bill would provide $50.6 billion for HUD programs and activities, $1.5 billion more the FY 2020 enacted level and $13.3 billion above the president’s FY 2021 budget request. Of the $50.6 billion, the bill includes:

  • $1.7 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships program, an increase of $350 million above the FY 2020 enacted level. The president’s budget request proposed eliminating this program.
  • $25.8 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, an increase of $1.9 billion above the FY 2020 enacted level and $2.4 billion above the president’s budget request.
  • $13.4 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance, an increase of $881 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $809 million above the president’s budget request.
  • $3.5 billion for Community Development Block Grants, an increase of $100 million above the FY 2020 enacted level. The president’s budget request proposed eliminating this program.
  • $3.4 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an increase of $638 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $642 million above the president’s budget request.
  • $893 million for Housing for the Elderly, an increase of $100 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $40 million above the president’s budget request.
  • $430 million for Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, an increase of $20 million above the FY 2020 enacted level and $100 million above the president’s budget request.
  • $250 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, an increase of $75 million above the FY 2020 enacted level. The president’s budget request proposed eliminating this program.
  • $250 million in new Section 8 vouchers for homeless individuals and families, including $40 million for homeless veterans and $40 million for domestic violence survivors.
  • $227 million for Housing for Persons with Disabilities, an increase of $25 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.
  • $75 million for Housing Counseling, an increase of $22 million above the FY 2020 level and $30 million above the president’s budget request.
  • $340 million for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, an increase of $50 million above the FY 2020 enacted level.

The bill also includes additional appropriations for transportation and housing programs to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. The additional amounts for investments in public housing, affordable housing, and community development include:

  • $24.25 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund;
  • $17.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships program;
  • $4 billion for Community Development Block Grants;
  • $1 billion for Native American programs;
  • $750 million for capital improvements for properties receiving project-based rental assistance;
  • $750 million for Housing for the Elderly;
  • $300 million for the CHOICE Neighborhoods Initiative;
  • $179 million for Housing for Persons with Disabilities;
  • $100 million for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes;
  • $100 million for the HUD Cybersecurity and Information Technology Fund;
  • $55 million for the Self-Help and Assisted Homeownership Opportunity;
  • $20 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant; and
  • $7.5 million for the HUD Office of Inspector General.