President Joe Biden released today a “budget blueprint” previewing his full Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget request, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
The President’s blueprint proposes a $9 billion or 15% increase to HUD’s budget from FY 2021. If enacted, the budget would provide substantial federal investments in affordable homes and increase the availability of housing assistance to families with the greatest need. For full details, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart.
The proposal calls for expanding rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program to 200,000 additional households, focusing on those who are experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. The blueprint also proposes to increase funding for Homeless Assistance Grants by $500 million to $3.5 billion, to expand tribal housing resources from $747 million to $900 million, to expand the HOME Investment Partnerships program by $500 million to $1.9 billion, to invest $180 million to support 2,000 new homes for seniors and people with disabilities, to increase fair housing activities by $12 million to $85 million, and to provide $800 million across HUD programs to rehabilitate public and affordable housing and provide energy-efficient upgrades, on top of $3.2 billion for public housing capital repairs. The proposal would also increase Community Development Block Grants by $295 million, with additional funds targeted to historically underfunded and marginalized communities facing persistent poverty.
The FY22 budget is the first annual spending bill in a decade that is not limited by the low spending caps required by the Budget Control Act that have prevented Congress from investing in affordable housing at the scale necessary.
The budget proposal is part of a larger effort by the Biden Administration to invest in the country’s housing infrastructure. The President’s $2 trillion “American Jobs Plan” calls for an additional $213 billion for the construction and preservation of affordable housing.
Once the President’s full budget request is released, Congress will draft and vote on spending bills, including one focused on Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD) programs. Congress is expected to start the process of drafting spending bills as soon as late April or early May. Congress has also started to work on an American Jobs Plan, which could receive a vote in Congress as soon as this summer. Congress. must work with the administration to expand investments in affordable homes through both the FY22 spending bill and an infrastructure package, including the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan.
Advocates should continue to contact their senators and representatives to urge them to support the highest funding level possible for affordable housing and homelessness, and community development resources in the FY22 budget and any jobs package.
- Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources.
- Sign the HoUSed campaign’s national letter calling on Congress to enact long-term solutions to the housing crisis!
- Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan.
Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
President Biden proposed increasing funding for tenant-based rental assistance by $5.4 billion above FY21 levels to a total of $30.4 billion, which is sufficient to not only ensure all contracts are fully renewed but to extend the availability of tenant-based rental assistance to 200,000 additional households in need of voucher assistance. The proposal calls for prioritizing the additional rental assistance for those who are experiencing homeless or fleeing domestic violence. This funding also includes mobility-related supportive services to provide low-income families living in “racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty with greater options to move to higher-opportunity neighborhoods.”
Homelessness Assistance
The president’s budget blueprint requests $3.5 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, an increase of $500 million over the 2021 enacted level. This funding will support more than 100,000 additional households, including survivors of domestic violence and homeless youth, and will complement the $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers provided in the American Rescue Plan Act.
Rehabilitation and Energy-Efficient Upgrades
The budget request calls for $800 million in new investments across HUD programs, including public housing and other HUD housing, for modernization and rehabilitation aimed at energy efficiency and resilience to climate change impacts, such as increasingly frequent and severe floods.
An additional $400 million is proposed for the Department of Energy for the weatherization of low-income homes.
Public Housing
The budget proposal calls for $3.2 billion for the public housing capital fund, which is required for desperately needed capital repairs. This amount is $435 million above the 2021 enacted level.
The proposal states that it provides enough funding fully cover operating costs.
HOME Investment Partnerships
The President’s request calls for a more than $500 million increase above FY21 levels to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, for a total of $1.9 billion. If enacted, this would be the highest funding level for HOME since 2009.
Community Development Block Grants
The discretionary request provides $3.8 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program. This is an increase of $295 million above FY21 levels. The proposal calls for these additional funds to be used to incentivize communities to modernize and rehabilitate “public infrastructure and facilities in historically underfunded and marginalized communities facing persistent poverty.”
Fair Housing
The budget blueprint would increase funding by $12.5 million for HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, for a total of $85 million.
Housing for the Elderly and People with Disabilities
The request includes $180 million to support 2,000 units of new permanently affordable housing for the elderly and persons with disabilities. It is unclear how these resources are divided among the Section 202 and Section 811 programs.
The proposal does not identify a specific dollar amount to address operating costs.
Tribal Housing
The discretionary request helps address housing conditions in tribal areas by providing $900 million – compared to $747 million in FY21 – to fund tribal housing programs. It is unclear how funding is divided among the formula and competitive NAHASDA programs.
Healthy Housing
The proposal calls for provides $400 million, an increase of $40 million above FY21 levels, to reduce lead-based paint and other health hazards.
Take Action
Take Action to support robust increases to affordable housing funding!
- Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources.
- Sign the HoUSed campaign’s national letter calling on Congress to enact long-term solutions to the housing crisis!
- Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan.