Disagreements Over Topline Spending Force Senate Appropriators to Delay Planned Markups

By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy 

Disagreements over topline spending amounts for defense and non-defense programs have forced members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to delay a scheduled markup of several fiscal year (FY) 2027 spending bills. The Senate has not yet released their Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill, which funds HUD’s vital programs, and a markup for the bill has not yet been announced.  

A markup is a regular part of the legislative process, giving committee members the opportunity to debate and amend a drafted bill and vote on whether to move the bill on for a floor vote in the full House or Senate. The House Appropriations Committee held a markup of their FY27 THUD spending bill on June 3 and voted along party lines to advance the bill for consideration in the full House (see Memo, 6/8), although the full House vote has not yet been scheduled. For details of the House FY27 spending bill, see NLIHC’s full analysis and our updated budget chart.  

Senate Appropriators, led by Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), are struggling to reach an agreement on topline funding levels for defense and non-defense programs, which include HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs. Committee Republicans are calling for greater spending for defense, while Democrats are urging more equitable spending between defense and non-defense programs. Vice Chair Murray noted she would not accept “a huge lopsided offer with a huge defense number and nothing for nondefense.”  

Annual funding increases are vital to ensuring HUD rental and homelessness assistance programs continue serving the millions of families, people with disabilities, veterans, older adults, low-wage workers, and others who rely on HUD programs to help keep a roof over their heads. Because the cost of rent increases every year, programs must receive increased funding every year to maintain assistance for current households; even flat funding acts as a cut, reducing the number of people served. At current funding levels, only one in four households who qualifies for any form of rental assistance receive it, leaving the majority of otherwise qualified households to struggle to afford the cost of housing.   

Tell Congress to Expand – Not Cut – Federal Investments in Affordable Housing and Homelessness Assistance Programs!  

At a time when a record number of renters are housing cost burdened and families around the country are struggling to afford necessities like housing, food, and medical care, Congress should be working to expand—not cut—funding for programs that help people make ends meet.  

Advocates can use NLIHC’s toolkits and resources to take action on the FY27 spending bill, and urge federal lawmakers to increase investments in HUD programs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:  

• Full funding to renew all existing Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) contracts, including ensuring continued assistance for Emergency Housing Voucher holders. 
• At least $5.1 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness. 
• Increased funding for public housing operations and capital needs to help maintain and efficiently operate public housing. 
• Increased investments in programs that support the construction and preservation of deeply affordable, accessible housing, including full funding for all Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRA) and PRA Contract renewals, at least $424 million for new Section 811 PRA contracts, and full funding to renew all existing contracts under the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program.  
• At least $15 million for HUD’s Eviction Prevention Grant Program (EPGP) to provide communities grants to establish right to counsel and other programs that help people avoid eviction and remain housed.  
• At least maintained funding of $1.1 billion for the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program and increasing funding to $150 million for the IHBG-Competitive program.  
• Establishing guardrails to ensure the administration releases appropriated funding to communities and does not withhold, redirect, or otherwise rescind congressionally approved funding.  

Advocates can take action today by: 

• Emailing or calling members’ offices to tell them about the importance of affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources to you, your family, your community, or your work. You can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to look up your member offices or call/send an email directly!    
• Sharing stories of those directly impacted by homelessness and housing instability. Storytelling adds emotional weight to your message and can help lawmakers see how their policy decisions impact actual people. Learn about how to tell compelling stories with this resource.     
• Organizations can also join CHCDF’s sign on letter calling for the highest possible funding for HUD and USDA affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in any final FY27 spending bills. Read the letter and sign your organization on here.  

Visit NLIHC’s Advocacy Hub for more information and resources that can help you take action and help protect the affordable housing programs people rely on.