Take Action Today to Advance Housing Justice!
More than two weeks have passed since Congress passed and President Biden signed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) extending current federal funding for housing and homelessness programs until January 19, 2024, and averting a government shutdown. Thankfully, the passage of the CR gives advocates additional time to urge Congress to fully fund HUD’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.
Take Action!
Contact your senators and representatives to urge them to expand investments in affordable, accessible homes, including for NLIHC’s top priorities:
- Full funding to renew all existing contracts for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) and Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) programs.
- Full funding for public housing operations and repairs.
- The Senate’s proposed funding for Homeless Assistance Grants.
- Protecting the $20 million in funding proposed in the Senate bill for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
- The House’s proposed funding for Native housing.
Join over 2,100 organizations by signing on to a national letter calling on Congress to support the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources.
Background
The CR extends funding until January 19 for priorities including affordable housing and homelessness, transportation, military construction, veterans’ affairs, and the U.S. Department of Energy. The CR extends funding for the remainder of the government until February 2. By enacting a “laddered” CR, Congress has established two different deadlines to pass final spending bills or risk a partial government shutdown.
Given the passage of the CR, advocates must now continue to urge their senators and representatives to fully fund affordable housing programs. Thanks to the hard work of advocates around the country and champions in Congress, both the House and Senate bills provide funding increases above FY23-enacted levels. Yet despite these increased investments, neither bill provides sufficient funding to renew all existing Housing Choice Vouchers due to the dramatic increase in the cost of rent in communities nationwide. If enacted, the House bill would result in approximately 40,000 fewer vouchers being renewed, while the Senate bill would result in an estimated 6,000 vouchers being lost.
Tell Congress that it cannot balance the federal budget at the expense of people with the lowest incomes!