National Low Income Housing Coalition - Senate Passes FY19 THUD Appropriations Bills

The Senate voted 92-6 on August 1 to approve its FY19 Transportation-HUD (THUD) spending bill, which provides robust funding for affordable housing and community development programs. Overall, the bill provides HUD programs with more than $12 billion above the president’s FY19 request and more than $1 billion above the House bill.

For more information on the Senate bill and the FY19 funding process, see NLIHC’s analysis of the bill and join a webinar hosted by NLIHC and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) today, August 6, at 2:00 pm ET. 

Several amendments impacting federal affordable housing programs were added to the Senate spending bill, including:

• An amendment introduced by Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) that would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to report to Congress on the agency’s strategy – and the tools and resources needed – to preserve affordable rental homes in rural America.
• An amendment introduced by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that would direct HUD to ensure landlords cannot unlawfully evict or deny housing to people based on their status as survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• An amendment introduced by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) that requires HUD and the Environmental Protection Agency to report on efforts related to the removal of lead-based paint and other hazardous materials.
• An amendment introduced by Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) that would prohibit people charged with certain crimes from receiving housing assistance. NLIHC has concerns about how this provision would be implemented.

Most of the amendments NLIHC opposed – including one from Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to prohibit HUD from implementing its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule – were not adopted.

Read NLIHC’s full analysis of the Senate FY19 appropriation bill at: https://bit.ly/2O24P9u

See NLIHC’s updated budget chart at: https://bit.ly/1SowzjU