An exciting update from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (and if you’re short on time, just make sure you do this: Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources):

On May 28, President Biden released his full fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request, proposing a $9 billion (15%) increase to HUD’s budget from FY21. If enacted, the budget would achieve the largest single expansion of Housing Choice Vouchers in the program’s history, as well as provide substantial federal investments in affordable homes and increase the availability of housing assistance to families with the greatest need. President Biden and HUD Secretary Fudge propose these investments alongside the proposed $318 billion in housing investments included in the American Jobs Plan.

For full details of the FY22 HUD budget request, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart and analysis.

Foreshadowed in last month’s “budget blueprint,” the FY22 budget request proposes expanding rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program to 200,000 additional households, prioritizing assistance to people experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking. The administration also proposes a $500 million increase in funding for Homeless Assistance Grants to provide rental and other assistance to an additional 100,000 people experiencing or at-risk of homelessness.

President Biden and Secretary Fudge also propose significant increases for public housing repairs and operations, tribal housing, fair housing activities, and more. The FY22 budget is the first annual spending bill in a decade that is not limited by the low spending caps required by the Budget Control Act that have prevented Congress from investing in affordable housing at the scale necessary.

The FY22 budget proposal is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to invest in the country’s housing infrastructure. The president’s $2.3 trillion “American Jobs Plan” calls for an additional $318 billion for the construction and preservation of affordable housing, including $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund and $40 billion for public housing capital repairs.

With the president’s full budget request released, Congress will now begin the work of drafting and voting on spending bills, as well as negotiating a major infrastructure spending bill.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund solutions to homelessness and housing poverty at the scale needed to achieve housing justice – let’s seize this opportunity!

Take Action

Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources.
Sign the HoUSed campaign’s national letter calling on Congress to enact long-term solutions to the housing crisis!
Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan.
Join our next HoUSed campaign national call on June 7: hear from guest speakers from the White House and HUD about the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to major new housing investments, and how we can help achieve them!