Congressional leaders and appropriators spent the weekend hashing out the details of a continuing resolution (CR) that would extend funding for the federal government until December 16, buying lawmakers more time to reach a final deal on a fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget. With the new fiscal year beginning October 1, time is quickly running out for Congress to enact a CR. Failure to do so would result in a partial shutdown of the federal government.
Despite the tight timeline, Congress is expected to enact a CR by September 30. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took on September 22 the first steps required for a vote in the Senate and is expected to release the text of the CR as soon as tomorrow. The CR will likely contain provisions providing aid to Ukraine, funding anomalies, and an energy infrastructure permit-streamlining proposal from Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). Whether Senator Manchin’s proposal will be able to muster the 60 votes required to pass the Senate remains to be seen, and the legislation faces broad opposition from progressives in the House.
After the CR is finalized and has passed out of both Congressional chambers, FY23 negotiations between appropriations committee staff will pick up again in earnest. Both the House and Senate have released draft spending bills written with little or no Republican input, raising concerns that a final spending package will offer significantly less funding than either the House or Senate drafts. The House bill for Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) would provide roughly $3 billion more for HUD’s vital affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs than the Senate’s proposal. See NLIHC’s analysis of the House draft and the Senate draft, as well as our updated budget chart, for more information.
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The FY2023 spending bill likely represents the last opportunity this year for Congress to make robust investments in affordable housing and homelessness programs. Congress must not pass up the chance to provide the significant funding needed to ensure the nation is moving towards safe, affordable, and accessible housing for all.
NLIHC and our partners in the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) are leading a National Call-In Day on October 12 for advocates to contact their members of Congress and demand the highest possible level of funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY23. Advocates should contact their members of Congress and urge them to support significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities:
- $32.13 billion for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing contracts and expand housing vouchers to an additional 200,000 households.
- $5.125 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, and $5.06 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
- $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
- $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
- $300 million for the competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
Additionally, Congress is expected to enact a tax extenders package before the end of the year. Many tax provisions are only authorized for a set number of years, forcing Congress to periodically reevaluate and decide whether to extend expiring tax provisions. With a number of tax provisions up for extension at the end of the year, the tax extenders package represents an opportunity to make needed legislative changes to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program so that it better serves households with the lowest incomes. NLIHC is urging Congress to include the following LIHTC reforms in any tax extenders package:
- Provide incentives to serve extremely low-income households and people experiencing homelessness, as well as reforms to encourage affordable housing development in tribal nations and rural areas so that LIHTC better serves communities with the greatest affordable housing needs.
- Eliminate the “Qualified Contract” loophole, ensure data transparency, and clarify and strengthen nonprofits’ right of first refusal to ensure long-term affordability.
- Extend vital renter protections to tenants living in LIHTC properties.
Learn more about key reforms needed to ensure LIHTC is serving households with the lowest incomes here.
In addition to pushing Congress for robust funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs in FY23, advocates should continue contacting their members of Congress to urge them to include these provisions in any tax extender package moving forward. Use NLIHC’s August recess advocacy toolkit to help create your message to Congress, and visit our Take Action page for more ways to get involved!