PLEASE SEE MESSAGE BELOW AND CALL United States Congress and Senate to FUND HOUSING
Dear Network members:
On Tuesday, December 10, the Budget Conference Committee reached an agreement on federal spending, avoiding another government shutdown and restoring some funding to programs that have sustained severe cuts mandated by sequestration. On Thursday night, the House voted to adopt the agreement, and the Senate appears to be on the verge doing so as well. The Network appreciates the hard work that New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey and the entire committee has done to achieve this budget agreement.
Now Congress must finalize FY14 appropriations for housing programs. Funding levels for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs could be determined by the end of the year. It is critical that Congress provide sufficient funding to prevent further loss of affordable rental housing units for the nation’s lowest income households.
Your Senators and Representative need to hear from you!
Appropriators are likely to negotiate final funding levels based on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) bills passed by House and Senate committees earlier this year. The Senate bill would have provided substantially higher FY14 funding levels for housing programs than the House bill.
Urge appropriators to provide HUD funding levels at least as high as those in the Senate bill, if not higher.
MESSAGE TO READ “I am calling to urge you to support HUD funding levels at least as high as the Senate’s original appropritations levels from earlier this year. “
WHO TO CALL Please call both your United States Senators and your representative from the United States Congress
Find contact information for their offices by visiting NLIHC’s website and entering your zip code in the Contact Congress section on the lower right hand side.
Call your Members of Congress and ask them to urge the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to adequately fund HUD programs by providing:
- At least $2.26 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants, preventing homeless programs from being eliminated and causing more homelessness.
- $17.7 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance voucher renewals, restoring vouchers lost due to sequestration and preventing further voucher loss.
- $11.3 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance, the amount required to fully fund contracts for 12 months in FY14 according to HUD. Underfunding these contracts for another year could result in the loss of units.
- $1.6 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships program, to create new affordable units.
To view a chart comparing FY14 funding levels proposed earlier this year by the House and Senate, click here.
Call your Members of Congress today at 202-224-3121.