By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy
The White House is expected to release a partial budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2027 the week of March 30, marking the beginning of the FY27 appropriations cycle. The request is expected to reflect some of the same drastic cuts and dramatic policy changes proposed in the Trump administration’s FY26 budget request, which were resoundingly rejected by Congress in the final FY26 spending bill for HUD programs.
The president’s budget request does not dictate funding or policy for the coming fiscal year; rather, it is a way for the administration to signal its priorities to Congress and the public. Once the request is released, members of the House and Senate appropriations committees will begin drafting their FY27 spending bills.
According to a tentative schedule, House appropriators are aiming to begin reviewing draft spending bills—a process known as “markups”—in mid-April. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, which is responsible for funding HUD programs, is expected to hold a markup of their FY27 spending bill on May 21, with a full committee markup potentially scheduled for June 4. These dates may change as the House’s schedule is finalized; the Senate has yet to release their markup schedule.
Take Action: Tell Congress to Provide the Highest Possible Funding for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs in FY27!
HUD’s vital affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs receive funding every year through the annual appropriations process. Because the cost of rent and housing construction increases every year, Congress must provide increased funding for HUD programs to maintain assistance for households and communities; flat funding acts as a cut, reducing the availability of assistance. Reduced funding to HUD programs like rental or homelessness assistance would put people at risk of losing the assistance they rely on to maintain a safe, stable home.
NLIHC is calling on Congress to provide the highest possible funding for HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:
- Full funding to renew all existing Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) contracts, including ensuring continued assistance for Emergency Housing Voucher holders.
At least $4.9 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 PRA and PRAC 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 with 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.
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.
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.