Federal Budget & Spending

Despite a proven track record, federal housing programs are chronically underfunded. Just one in four households eligible for federal housing assistance actually receive the help they need, leaving the rest to struggle to afford the cost of rent. 

Expanding resources available to help people with the lowest incomes find and maintain safe, stable, affordable, accessible housing depends on increasing federal appropriations. NLIHC monitors the federal budget process and advocates for the highest possible allocation of resources at HUD and the USDA Rural Housing Service to support deeply affordable housing and homelessness resources. 

NLIHC is also a Steering Committee member of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding, a coalition of over 75 national organizations working together to ensure robust resources to address America's housing crisis. Learn more here.

Budget Trends

image-20231031140827-1Fact of the Week: Housing Assistance Budget Authority as a Share of GDP Has Declined Precipitously, Spending Relatively Consistent, Since the 1970's
 
Budget Analysis for Fiscal Year 2026

NLIHC FY26 Budget Chart for Key HUD Programs (Updated 7/25/25)

Budget Analysis for Fiscal Year 2025

NLIHC FY25 Budget Chart for Key HUD Programs (Updated 7/25/24)

Budget Analysis for Fiscal Year 2024 

NLIHC FY24 Budget Chart for Key HUD Programs (Updated 3/3/24)

Budget Analysis for Fiscal Year 2023 

NLIHC FY23 Budget Chart for Key HUD Programs (Updated 12/19/22)

Additional Resources 

For more information on Budget and Appropriations, contact Kim Johnson, Senior Director of Policy, at [email protected].

Memo to Members and Partners Articles

House Appropriations Committee Approves FY18 THUD Spending Bill

The House Appropriations Committee moved forward with its FY18 spending bill for affordable housing and community development programs on July 17. NLIHC and others estimate the bill would result in the loss of more than 140,000 housing vouchers. Without this assistance, families face immediate risk…

Senate Advances Rural Housing Appropriations Bill

The full Senate Appropriations Committee voted to approve its draft FY18 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) spending bill, including funding for Rural Housing programs, on July 20. While the text of the bill is not yet available, the Committee states on its website that the bill provides flat…

Urge Congress to Fully Fund Rural Housing Investments

NLIHC continues to urge advocates to contact their members of Congress about fully funding rural housing programs. President Donald Trump’s proposed FY18 budget would require significant reductions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural housing appropriations, including a $60 million…

OMB Issues FY19 Budget Guidance

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memorandum for all federal department heads, instructing them on how to prepare their departments’ FY19 budgets. Memorandum M-17-28 requires FY19 budgets to abide by the levels proposed in the administration’s FY18 budget request, which cut…