Over 1,600 organizations have already signed onto a letter to House and Senate appropriators that calls for an increase to the FY14 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) 302(b) subcommittee allocation (see Memo, 4/19). Additional signers are needed before the letter closes on April 30. Congressional appropriations work begins with the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations dividing the total spending amount provided for the fiscal year among the 12 appropriations subcommittees. The House and Senate are expected to set their 302(b) allocations as early as the first full week of May. The letter calls for an increase to the THUD allocation, noting the importance of affordable housing, community development and transportation funding to low income households and underserved communities. “In these tight times, the THUD bill’s investments yield high rates of social and economic return, and an adequate THUD allocation should be a high priority. Yet these investments have been cut sharply in recent years. Even before sequestration, the FY 2013 302(b) allocation ($51.8 billion in budget authority) was 24 percent less than the FY 2010 enacted level ($67.9 billion),” the letter says.NLIHC urges national, state and local organizations and elected officials to sign onto the letter in order to demonstrate strong support for increasing funding for the THUD subcommittee and to better HUD’s FY14 funding prospects. View the letter at http://bit.ly/11hK10d. Sign onto the letter to increase THUD funding at http://bit.ly/11oSX3Q.