For the past few weeks, the United States Senate has been considering an appropriations minibus, H.R. 2112, which includes the annual spending bills for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and multiple amendments therein. The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 69 to 30 on Tuesday, November 1.
The approved version of the bill provides a total of about $128 billion in discretionary spending for the aforementioned agencies but includes significant cuts to the HUD budget over 2011. Many industry experts believe the bill provides inadequate funding for several critical housing programs including tenant-based vouchers, project based rental assistance contracts, and public housing. Several amendments were considered by the Senate and there are a few that will directly affect federal affordable housing programs.
Most notably, Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed several amendments to the minibus legislation that would have directly affected housing development programs. Coburn proposed S.AMDT.800 which reduced funding for the Rural Development Agency by $1 billion. S.AMDT.796 would have ended lending mechanisms that require taxpayers to repay the loans of delinquent developers and bailout failed or poorly planned local projects. Another amendment proposed by Coburn, S.AMDT.795 would have cancelled funding committed by HUD, restrict future funding, and penalize developers by more than $500,000,000 for dated, vacant, incomplete or abandoned projects. Finally, S.AMDT.797 would have restricted funding renovation, construction, leasing and purchasing of federal buildings. All amendments were considered by the Senate; amendments 800 and 796 were rejected and Coburn withdrew 795 and 797 before consideration.
The November 1 Senate vote jump started negotiations with the GOP-controlled House on final legislation that will fund federal agencies through fiscal year 2012. While some had hoped that the spending measures would be enacted before Thanksgiving recess, top lawmakers agree that a vote before the end of December could prove difficult.
Summary Chart:
|
Program |
FY-2011 Enacted |
WH FY-2012 Budget |
House Approved |
Senate Approved |
|
CDBG |
$3,336,000,000 |
$3,691,368,000 |
$3,465,974,000 |
$2,851,027,000 |
|
HOME |
$1,606,780,000 |
$1,650,000,000 |
$1,200,000,000 |
$1,000,000,000 |
|
PJ-Based Section 8 |
$9,257,448,000 |
$9,428,672,000 |
$9,028,672,000 |
$9,418,672,000 |
|
Housing Choice Vouchers* |
$18,370,872,624 |
$19,222,569,082 |
$18,467,883,000 |
$18,872,357,000 |
|
Public Housing Operating Funds |
$4,616,748,000 |
$3,961,850,000 |
$3,861,850,000 |
$3,961,850,000 |
|
Public Housing Capital Funds |
$2,040,111,600 |
$2,405,345,000 |
$1,532,117,000 |
$1,875,000,000 |
|
Homeless Assistance Grants |
$1,901,190,000 |
$2,372,000,000 |
$1,901,190,000 |
$1,901,190,000 |
|
Section 202 |
$399,200,000 |
$757,000,000 |
$600,000,000 |
$369,627,000 |
|
Section 811 |
$149,700,000 |
$196,000,000 |
$196,000,000 |
$150,000,000 |
|
VASH |
$49,900,000 |
$75,000,000 |
$75,000,000 |
$75,000,000 |
|
HOPWA |
$334,330,000 |
$335,000,000 |
$334,330,000 |
$330,000,000 |
|
HOPE VI/CNI |
$165,000,000 |
$250,000,000 |
0 |
$120,000,000 |
|
Rental Assistance Demonstration** |
0 |
$200,000,000 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sustainable Communities |
$99,800,000 |
$150,000,000 |
0 |
$90,000,000 |
|
RD Section 515 Direct Loans (obligation) |
$69,372,976 |
$95,236,000 |
$58,148,064 |
$64,478,000 |
|
RD Section 538 Loan Guarantees (obligation) |
$30,898,080 |
0 |
0 |
$130,000,000 |
|
DOE WAP |
$174,300,000 |
$320,000,000 |
$33,000,000 |
$174,300,000 |
* Total Housing Choice Vouchers funding numbers includes VASH Vouchers
** Senate version includes some authorizing language.
To view the Full Text of H.R.2112, click here.
To view a list of all H.R.2112 Amendments considered by Senate, including those passed and rejected, click here.
To view a complete list of Senate votes, click here.
To read the Senate Appropriations Committee press release, click here.
