By Eugene T. Lowe
September 8, 2003

On September 4, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY2004 funding bill for VA, HUD and Independent Agencies. In general, the Senate measure added funds to several programs that were of concern after the House of Representatives passed its version of the bill on July 25. Chief among those concerns was the under funding of the Housing Certificate Fund for Section 8 vouchers. Another problem was HOPE VI, the program for severely distressed public housing, which was virtually eliminated by the House, receiving only $25 million by virtue of a floor amendment. Similarly, no funding was made available for the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program.

The Senate Appropriations Committee in its approval of 2004 spending for HUD funded the Housing Certificate Fund, and said in a press release: "Funding for section 8 would be provided for vouchers currently in use and for those that are likely to be used up to the authorized contract level." The Section 108 Loan Guarantee program would receive $275 million, which is the authorized level. HOPE VI would be funded at $195 million.

Community Development Block Grant formula grants is funded at $4.546 billion in the Senate and $4.539 billion in the House, both higher than last year's funding level. The Senate would fund the HOME Investment Partnerships program at $1.975 billion, while the House funded the program at $2.064 billion; again, both the senate and house increased funding for HOME. Within the HOME program, the Senate would fund the American Dream Downpayment fund at $50 million, while the House, also within HOME, would fund the downpaymemt program at $125 million.

The Senate would fund the public housing capital fund at $2.6 billion; the House at $2.7 billion. As for the public housing operating fund, the Senate would fund the program at $3.58 billion; the House at $3.6 billion. The Senate, as the House, rejected the administration's request to fund the Housing Assistance for Needy Families (HANF) program, which would block grant Section 8 vouchers to states.

Other programs funded in the Senate Appropriations VA-HUD bill include:

• Homeless assistance is funded at $1.325 billion; the House funded the program at $1.242 billion.
• Section 202 elderly housing and Section 811 disabled housing is funded at $783 million and $250 million, respectively. The House funded Section 202 at $773 million and Section 811 at $250 million.
• Brownfields redevelopment grants, which the administration had recommended to be transferred to EPA, is funded as a HUD program at $25 million by both the Senate and the House.
• Empowerment Zones were not funded. The House, however, funded Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities at $15 million.
• Housing for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) is funded at $291 million. The House funded the program at $302 million.