The U.S. Senate on March 20 passed by a vote of 73 to 26 an amended version of the U.S. House of Representatives FY 2013 continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 933. The legislation provides funding for all federally funded agencies for the remainder of FY 2013, which ends on September 30, 2013. The Senate version of the CR includes five full FY 2013 spending bills: Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Homeland Security and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and CRs for the agencies and programs covered by the unfinished bills, including Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD and the other federal agencies that do not have a FY 2013 funding bill included in the CR will be funded for the remainder of the fiscal year at FY 2012 levels. The CR does not cancel the $85 billion sequestration, or across-the-board cuts, triggered on March 1.

Senates version of the House CR increases the FY 2012 funding level for certain HUD programs including Homeless Assistance Grants by $132 million to $2.033 billion, of which not less than $200 million is for the Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program; increase in administrative fees in the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program by $25 million to $1.375 billion; and increase funding for the Public Housing Operating fund by $300 million to $4.26 billion. All of HUD’s programs are still subject to a 5 percent cut under sequestration.

The bill now goes to the President for his signature.

Click here to read H.R. 933
Click here to read the Senate’s substitute amendment to H.R. 933.
Click here to read the White House’s Statement of Administrative Policy regarding the Senate amendment to H.R. 933.