Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2015 T-HUD Bill

On May 21, the House Appropriations Committee approved by a vote of 28 to 21 the FY 2015 Transportation-HUD (T-HUD) appropriations bill. The House bill has a funding level of $52.03 billion, $1.2 billion more than the FY 2014 enacted funding level and $7.8 billion less than the president’s FY 2015 budget request. However, given the reduction in offsets caused by a decline in Federal Housing Administration receipts, the program level within the bill is more accurately $1.8 billion below the current level.

The bill would provide the following FY 2015 funding levels:

• $700 million for the HOME program, $300 million less than the FY 2014 level and $250 million less than the president’s FY 2015 budget request.
• $9.7 billion for project-based Section 8, $171 million less than the FY 2014 level and equal to the president’s request.
• $17.7 billion for voucher renewals, $328 million more than the FY 2014 level and $313 million less than the president’s request.
• $3 billion for CDBG, $30 million less than the FY 2014 level and $200 million more than the president’s request.
• $2.1 billion for homeless assistance grants, equal to the FY 2014 enacted level and $301 million less than the president’s request.

During the markup process, the following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full committee:

• Rep. Latham, R-Iowa – The manager’s amendment makes technical and non-controversial changes to the bill and report. It includes provisions to increase funding for HUD’s housing counseling program by $2 million to $47 million and to increase funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program (HOPWA) by $2.9 million to $305.9 million. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
• Rep. Schiff, D-Calif. – The amendment adds language to the report directing HUD to evaluate and report on the effect of voucher portability on costs to certain public housing authorities. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.
• Rep. Price, D-N.C. – The amendment increases funding for the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness by $1 million, offset by a reduction from the HUD Information Technology account. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.

The schedule for consideration of the bill by the House has not been announced.