U.S. Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) warned of the “devastating” impacts of a full-year continuing resolution (CR) on federal programs in statements released following U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) threat to “go with the most painful version of a full-year CR” instead of finalizing fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills.
Speaker Johnson is proposing an unprecedented “date change” CR, or a full-year CR with no adjustments. In this case, doing so would extend FY23 funding levels without revisions for addressing new or changed needs in FY24. Because the costs of housing and development programs are tied to market rates, which have risen dramatically in recent years, flat funding acts as a cut and reduces the number of people served by HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.
While long-term CRs always act as a cut to HUD programs, a long-term CR would be especially harmful under the terms of the “Fiscal Responsibility Act” (FRA), the debt ceiling agreement signed into law in June (see Memo, 6/5). Under the FRA, if any of the 12 annual federal appropriations bills are still operating under a CR by April 30, mandatory sequestration – or across-the-board spending cuts – will be triggered. For domestic programs – including HUD – a “date change” CR would result in cuts of up to 9.4% – or more than $73 billion – from the topline funding agreed to in the FRA.
“It is deeply dangerous,” said Chair Murray of the proposal. “It would lock in outdated spending plans and devastating across-the-board cuts with no rhyme or reason and completely lock Congress out of any kind of thoughtful decision-making process for our nation’s future.”
A resource released by the Senate Appropriations Committee notes that a “date change” CR would cut assistance for nearly 700,000 households who rely on HUD’s housing assistance programs to keep a roof over their heads, pushing these families closer to housing instability, eviction, and in the worst cases, homelessness. The CR would also result in the production of nearly 3,000 fewer units of affordable housing at a time when the nation’s affordable housing shortage has gotten worse, especially for people with the lowest incomes.
Take Action!
It is critical that advocates keep weighing in with their senators and representatives on the importance of increased funding for HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs in FY24. Tell Congress that it cannot balance the federal budget at the expense of people with the lowest incomes!
- Contact your senators and representatives to urge them to expand – not cut – investments in affordable, accessible homes through the FY24 spending bill, including full funding for NLIHC’s top priorities:
- Full funding to renew all existing contracts for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) programs.
- Full funding for public housing operations and repairs.
- The Senate’s proposed funding for Homeless Assistance Grants.
- Protecting $20 million in funding for legal assistance to prevent evictions in the Senate bill.
- The House’s proposed funding for Native housing.
Join over 2,100 organizations by signing on to a national letter calling on Congress to support the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY24.