Urge Members of Congress to Fully Fund Rural Housing Investments

NLIHC urges advocates to contact their members of Congress to oppose the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to rural housing for FY18 and to fully fund rural housing investments. The president’s budget proposes significant reductions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural housing budget, including a $60 million cut to Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, the elimination of the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization program, and the elimination of key homeownership programs, including Section 502 Direct Homeownership Loans and Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing.  

During a hearing held by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies on June 13, senators from both parties voiced concerns about the administration’s FY18 budget request for the USDA and its proposal to eliminate the under secretary for rural development position. Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) stated that “the budget comes across less as a ‘Make American Agriculture Great’ budget, and more as a ‘Rural America and Farmers Last’ budget.”

NLIHC and nearly 600 organizations from across the country have signed onto a letter circulated by the National Rural Housing Coalition (NRHC) opposing the proposed cuts. The letter criticized the administration’s response to the problems facing rural America as what “can only be described as a wholesale retreat.”

NLIHC encourages advocates to call their members of Congress to urge them to oppose the president’s proposed budget and USDA reorganization plan and to fully fund rural housing programs.

Contact your Congressional delegation directly at: http://bit.ly/2rr1AkV.

Read NRHC’s press release about rural advocates’ letter to Congress at: http://prn.to/2tmTGWB.

Review NLIHC’s analysis of the Trump administration’s proposed budget, including funding for USDA Rural Housing programs, at: http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Trump-Budget.pdf.

Read USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue’s full testimony at: http://bit.ly/2rgSiUI.

Watch a recording of the hearing at: http://bit.ly/2rIW5wN.