Senate Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2019 THUD Bill Sustaining Increased Funding for Most Housing Programs

On June 7, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill, which provides $44.5 billion in total net discretionary spending for HUD programs, a four percent increase over FY 2018 levels. According to THUD Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME), this increased allocation ensured that the bill could fully fund all tenant- and  project-based rental assistance, maintain FY 2018’s increased funding levels for critical programs including the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and make other targeted investments. NCSHA will provide a more detailed analysis of the bill when it is publicly available; below are preliminary HUD highlights:

• $1.362 billion for HOME, the same as FY 2018 enacted, and 10 percent higher than what the House Appropriations Committee provided in its FY 2019 bill.
• $3.3 billion for Community Development Block Grants, equal to FY 2018 funding.
• $2.6 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, $200 million more than FY 2018 funding, with $82 million set aside to address youth homelessness and $50 million for survivors of domestic violence.
• $678 million to the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program, equal to FY 2018 funding, with $51 million set aside for new units and $10 million for home modification grants to help low-income seniors age in place.
• $22.8 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers, 11 percent more than FY 2018 funding and $324 million more than the House FY 2019 bill.
• $11.7 billion to renew all project-based rental assistance contracts, an increase of $632 million over the FY 2018 funding level.
• $154 million for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities, equal to the House version and $75 million less than FY 2018 funding.
• $40 million for HUD–Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers, equal to FY 2018 funding.
• $260 million for lead hazard abatement, $30 million more than FY 2018 funding.

The Senate is expected to consider the FY 2019 THUD bill this summer, but it has not yet scheduled such consideration.