By Eugene T. Lowe
August 2, 2010

Both House and Senate Appropriations Committees moved forward July 20-21 on fiscal year 2011 funding of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development bills. Having approved funding at the Subcommittee, the full House Appropriations Committee considered the measure on July 20. The Senate Appropriations Transportation and Housing Subcommittee took action the next day, July 21, on its spending levels for the next fiscal year. The full House passed the bill July 29 with the House Appropriations Committee's housing and community development funding levels virtually unchanged.

Community Development Block formula grants would receive the same funding in both bills, $3.99 billion. Both the House and Senate at last year’s funding level of $1,825 billion would fund the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which the Administration had recommended a cut of $175 million. Similarly, the administration’s request for the Section 202 Elderly Housing program was $274 million, but the Senate and House approved funding the program at $825 million, last year’s level. As for Section 811, the housing for persons with disabilities program, the House would fund it at last year’s funding level of $300 million, while the Senate would fund the program at $200 million. The administration had recommended that the Section 811 program be cut to $90 million.

In many other areas, programs would receive identical funding levels in both Houses, and when there is a difference, the funding levels are not dramatic. Both Houses would fund tenant based rental assistance at $19,396 billion. The House would fund the public housing operating fund at $4,829; the Senate, $4,800. The public housing capital fund would receive $2,500 billion in both Houses. The House would fund the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program at $350 million; the Senate, $340 million, the administration’s request. The difference in funding for Homeless Assistance Grants is somewhat larger: $2, 200 billion in the House and $2, 055 billion in the Senate, which is last year’s funding level. And while the House funded brownfields redevelopment at $17.5 million, the Senate did not provide any funding for the program. Neither the Senate nor the House would provide funds for Catalytic Investment Grants for large'scale development. But both Houses would fund the administration’s request for $150 million for the Sustainable Communities Initiative.

The House and Senate took totally different funding views with respect to the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) program that is to replace HOPE VI, the severely distressed public housing program. The House would fund HOPE VI at $200 million, and provide nothing for CNI. The Senate would do just the opposite: $250 million would be provided for CNI, and nothing for the HOPE VI program.

Amendments were offered on the floor of the House of Representatives to cut or eliminate several HUD programs, including HOME and the Brownfields Redevelopment Program. The amendments introduced, however, failed.