Congress vote to approve a $1.15 trillion fiscal 2016 omnibus spending bill on Friday, December 18, which includes level and higher funding from FY 2015 levels for many key U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development housing programs. In many cases, the funding levels stop short of fully funding the programs’ needs, but are better than expected. The President is expected to sign the bill into law today.

In an exciting win for affordable housing advocates, the legislation restores previously endangered HOME funding to $950 million. The following HUD housing programs would increase from FY 2015 levels:

  • Project-Based Rental Assistance
  • Tenant-Based Rental Assistance
  • Public Housing Capital Fund
  • Public Housing Operating Fund
  • HOME Investment Partnerships
  • Choice Neighborhoods Initiative
  • Supportive Housing for the Elderly (Section 202)
  • Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities (Section 811)
  • Housing for Persons with Aids (HOPWA)
  • Homeless Assistance Grants

The Community Development Block Grant program will receive the same funding level as it did in FY 2015. Veterans Assistance Supportive Housing program would receive $15 million less in funding.

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition celebrated the fact that the National Housing Trust Fund will remain in tact. According to the NLIHC, the Fund is “set to deliver its first resources to states in 2016 for the production, preservation, and operation of predominantly affordable rental housing for extremely low income households.”

Despite a funding level increases for Project-Based and Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, NLIHC believes the bill comes up short on covering renewal costs. It will be about $200 million less that what’s needed for PBRA contract renewals. In terms for TBRA funding, the bill is about $369 million short of what’s required for the Housing Choice Voucher program to renew vouchers in 2016.

Funding levels expressed in millions of dollars FY 2015 Funding Levels President’s FY 2016 Budget House THUD Bill Passed 6/9/2015 Senate Appropriations Committee THUD Bill Passed 6/23/2015 FY 2016 Funding Levels
PBRA $9,730  $10,760  $10,654  $10,426 $10,622
TBRA $17,486  $21,123.5  $19,918.6  $19,934 $17,681.5
VASH $75  $0  $0  $75 $60
Public Housing Capital Fund $1,875  $1,970  $1,681  $1,743 $1,900
Public Housing Operating Fund $4,440  $4,600  $4,440  $4,500 $4,500
HOME $900  $1,060  $900  $66 $950
CNI $80  $250  $20  $65 $125
Section 202 $420  $455  $461  $420 $432.7
Section 811 $135  $177  $152  $137 $150.6
HOPWA $330  $332  $332  $330 $335
CDBG $3,000  $2,880  $ 3,060  $2,900 $3,000
Homeless Assistance Grants $2,135  $2,480  $2,185  $2,235 $2,250

*This table was adapted from a comparison published by Enterprise Community Partners.