Policy

Administration Again Proposes Eliminating Many Housing Programs

The Trump Administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2020, much like its FY19 and FY18 budgets, would eliminate most of USDA’s rural housing programs, along with CDBG, HOME, and SHOP. It would require tenants in both USDA and HUD properties to pay more for their homes. It would also cut USDA Rural Development staff below their already reduced levels.

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USDA

Like the Administration’s FY19 budget, this year’s proposal would zero out funding for all rural housing programs except Section 502 guarantees, Section 538 guarantees for rental housing production, and renewals of existing Section 521 Rental Assistance and Section 542 vouchers. It would require tenants in USDA-assisted rental housing to pay at least $50 per month unless they apply for and receive a hardship exemption from USDA. It would also rescind $40 million from the Section 521 Rental Assistance program; that amount represents funding carried over from one year to the next to avoid potential shortfalls in funding availability to renew RA contracts at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Voucher funding would be combined with RA in a single account. USDA’s budget summary shows a $1.407 billion line item for Rental Assistance, but that amount includes $32 million for vouchers and does not account for the $40 million proposed rescission. USDA says this is enough to renew current contracts.

The budget calls for 3,776 Rural Development employees, saying this is 613 staff years below the 2019 estimate.

USDA Rural Development Appropriations[tdborder][/tdborder]

USDA Rural Dev. Prog.
(dollars in millions)

FY18 Approp.

FY19 Admin. Budget

FY19 Final Approp.

FY 20 Admin. Budget

502 Single Fam. Direct
Self-Help setaside*

$1,100
5

0
0

$1,000
5

0
0

502 Single Family Guar.

24,000

24,000

24,000 24,000

504 VLI Repair Loans

28

0

28 0

504 VLI Repair Grants

30

0

30 0

515 Rental Hsg. Direct Lns.

40

0

40 0

514 Farm Labor Hsg. Lns.

23

0

27.5 0

516 Farm Labor Hsg. Grts.

8.4

0

10 0

521 Rental Assistance

1,345

1,331.4

1,331.4 1,335**

523 Self-Help TA

30

0

30 0

533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants

10

0

15 0

538 Rental Hsg. Guar.

230

250

230 250

Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)

22

0

24.5 0

542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers

25

20

27 32**

Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.

4

0

6 ***

Rental Prsrv. TA

1

0

1 0

* For the self-help setaside in Section 502 direct, the figures in the table represent budget authority, not program levels.
** The budget would move vouchers into the Rental Assistance account.
*** The budget documents available on March 11 do not mention RCDI. Details scheduled to be released on March 18 should confirm whether the Administration proposes any funding for this capacity building program.

HUD

The budget would decrease HUD’s funding by 16.4 percent. It would eliminate CDBG, HOME, SHOP, and support for public housing’s capital needs.

It would impose work requirements on HUD-assisted tenants and would include the Administration’s April 2018 proposed rent increases. It would moderately increase HUD’s staffing and would finance improvements to outdated technology. HUD’s summary of the request says rental assistance would be maintained for all currently assisted tenants.

HUD Appropriations [tdborder][/tdborder]

HUD Program
(dollars in millions)

FY18 Approp.

FY19 Admin. Budget

FY19 Final Approp.

FY20 Admin. Budget

CDBG

$3,300

0

$3,300 0

HOME

1,362

0

1,250 0

Self-Help Homeownshp. (SHOP)

10

0

10 0

Veterans Home Rehab

4

0

4 0

Tenant-Based Rental Asstnce.
VASH setaside
Tribal VASH

22,015
40
5

20,550
0
4

22,598
40
4
22,244
?
?

Project-Based Rental Asstnce.

11,515

10,952

11,747 12,021

Public Hsg. Capital Fund

2,750

0

2,775 0

Public Hsg. Operating Fund

4,550

3,279

4,653 2,863

Choice Neighbrhd. Initiative

150

0

150 0

Native Amer. Hsg. Block Grt.

655

600

655 600

Homeless Assistance Grants

2,513

2,383

2,636 2,599

Hsg. Opps. for Persons w/ AIDS

375

330

393 330

202 Hsg. for Elderly

678

563

678 644

811 Hsg. for Disabled

230

132

184 157

Fair Housing

65.3

62.3

65.3 62

Healthy Homes & Lead Haz. Cntl.

230

145

279 290

Housing Counseling

55

45

50 45