A final agreement funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at $44.2 billion in fiscal 2019, a roughly 4% increase over current levels.
The deal, which avoids another government shutdown, increases funding for key housing programs, including tenant-based and project-based rental assistance, the public housing capital and operating funds, and homeless assistance grants.
Under the new HUD budget:
· Tenant-based rental assistance received $22.6 billion, including $20.3 billion for the renewal of all existing contracts. This is an increase from an overall $22 billion and $19.6 billion for contract renewals in fiscal 2018. Funding for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers remains flat at $40 million;
· The project-based rental assistance program received $11.7 billion, up from $11.5 billion last year;
· A mobility demonstration program received $25 million, which will provide housing vouchers and mobility-related services to help families with children move to areas of opportunity;
· The public housing capital fund received $2.78 billion, up from $2.75 billion in 2018;
· The public housing operating fund received $4.65 billion, up from $4.55 billion last year;
· Homeless assistance grants received $2.6 billion, an increase from $2.5 billion in 2018;
· Funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program remains flat at $3.3 billion;
· The HOME program is funded at $1.25 billion, down from $1.36 billion in 2018.
· The Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes received $279 million, up from $230 million last year; and
· The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is funded at $150 million, unchanged from fiscal 2018.
The bill agreed to by Congress and the White House provides HUD programs with more than $12 billion more than President Trump’s initial proposal, which sought to eliminate funding for several programs, including CDBG, HOME, and the public housing capital account.
The spending bill provides mostly flat funding for the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Rural Housing programs. Sec. 515 rental housing program direct loans remain funded at $40 million, while the Sec. 521 rental assistance program is funded at $1.33 billion, a drop from $1.35 billion in fiscal 2018.
For more details, see the budget chart prepared by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
A summary of the consolidate appropriations act is also available here.
