President Trump and HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request – released on February 10 – proposes to slash funding for HUD by an astounding $8.6 billion or 15% below 2020 enacted levels, not including those cuts offset by increased FHA receipts.
At a time when the affordable housing crisis has worsened and homelessness is increasing in some communities, Secretary Carson’s proposal would eliminate vital housing programs, including the national Housing Trust Fund, and all funding for public housing capital repairs. He would eliminate the HOME Investments Partnership program and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), starving communities of needed resources for affordable housing and community development. Secretary Carson proposes cutting public housing operating funds by 21% ($3.57 billion) and Housing for Persons with AIDS by 20% ($330 million).
Secretary Carson proposes to cut funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA or Housing Choice Vouchers) program by $5 billion (not including additional increases needed to cover inflation), while creating a separate Moving to Work (MTW) account with $5.2 billion in reallocated and reduced funding from public housing and tenant-based rental assistance, essentially block-granting reduced funding to MTW public housing agencies (PHAs). Taken together, these changes could mean up to 160,000 families losing housing assistance over time.
For more details, see NLIHC’s updated analysis of the president’s budget request and our updated budget chart.Take action to support affordable housing funding!
In response to these budget threats, NLIHC and other national leaders of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) are urging advocates to take action to oppose the president’s budget. Congress needs to hear from you about the importance of increased investments in affordable housing. Below are three ways to learn more and make your voices heard:
- Join a national webinar today at 3:30 p.m. ET, hosted by NLIHC and other members of CHCDF, to learn more about the president’s budget and the funding outlook for affordable housing and community development programs in FY21.
- Sign a national letter urging Congress to ensure transportation and housing programs receive the highest amount of funding possible for FY21. Because the FY21 letter is substantially similar to the funding letter sent last year, we are asking organizations already signed on to let us know if you would like to opt-out of the letter by emailing [email protected]. See if your organization signed onto last year’s letter here.
- Join advocates across the country in support of affordable homes by participating in the 4th annual Our Homes, Our Voices National Housing Week of Action, May 2–12. Week of Action events can range from rallies and film screenings to panel discussions, letter-writing campaigns, tours of housing developments, voter registration activities, and more. Start planning now to engage with your members of Congress during the Week of Action and unite with communities throughout the country in calling on Congress and 2020 presidential candidates for increased investments in affordable housing.