Appropriations leaders in the U.S. House and Senate are expected to meet soon after Congress returns from recess on April 25 to continue negotiations on a fiscal year (FY) 2023 spending bill. While discussions over the FY23 appropriations package have so far encountered the same hurdles that delayed the FY22 spending bill by almost six months, leaders remain hopeful they can reach an agreement on topline funding amounts by May and finalize draft spending bills in the House by June.
The FY23 bill presents Congress with the opportunity to make significant investments in affordable housing and community development programs, including in NLIHC’s top priorities for the appropriations bill:
- At least $32.13 billion for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing contracts and expand housing vouchers to an additional 200,000 households.
- At least $5.125 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, and at least $5.06 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
- At least $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
- At least $300 million for the competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
- At least $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
While the annual appropriations process is an important opportunity to preserve and expand the availability of affordable, accessible housing, much more is needed to adequately address the root cause of the nation’s affordable housing crisis: the severe lack of affordable, accessible housing available to people paid the lowest wages. The housing investments proposed in last year’s “Build Back Better Act,” passed by the House in November 2021, call for $150 billion to address the affordable housing and community development needs of households with low incomes, including significant funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:
- $25 billion to expand housing vouchers to more than 300,000 households.
- $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2 million residents.
- $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build, preserve, and operate more than 150,000 units of affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.
Since the bill stalled in the Senate, President Biden and Congressional Democrats have been mapping out a path forward to enacting a significantly scaled-down reconciliation bill that can win the support of moderate Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ) as well as the support of House progressives. Because of the evenly divided Senate and narrow margin in the House, lawmakers will need the support of every Senate Democrat and nearly every House Democrat to see the bill enacted.
While the slimmed-down reconciliation package is still taking shape, it is likely that much of the bill’s focus will be on addressing rising inflation. As the single largest component of the Consumer Price Index – a popular measure of inflation – the high cost of housing is a central driver of inflation. The historic and targeted affordable housing investments included in the “Build Back Better Act” are not only essential to ensuring that America’s lowest-income and most marginalized people have stable, affordable homes but will help address inflation by bringing down the cost of housing.
Take Action!
Advocates should contact their senators and representatives to urge them to support the highest funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in the FY23 spending bill and any budget reconciliation package.
FY23 Spending Bill
- Sign your organization on to a letter supporting the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY23.
- Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support NLIHC’s top priorities in FY23, including:
- At least $32.13 billion for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing contracts and to expand housing vouchers to an additional 200,000 households.
- At least $5.125 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, and at least $5.06 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
- At least $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
- At least $300 million for the competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
- At least $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
Budget Reconciliation Bill
- Join over 1,800 organizations around the country in support of historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation bill that moves forward.
- Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package.
Thank you for your advocacy!