Policy

Trump Administration Proposes to Eliminate Most Rural Housing Programs

Register for HAC's webinar overview of Trump Administration's BudgetRegister for HAC’s webinar overview of Trump Administration’s BudgetThe Administration’s first full budget request, released on May 23, would eliminate all USDA rural housing programs except tenant aid, loan guarantees, and grants for home repairs. It would create a new Rural Economic Infrastructure Grant program, comprised of four existing programs – no new infrastructure efforts are provided, at least for areas covered by USDA Rural Development. It does not mention, and does not provide funding for, USDA’s recently proposed reorganization that would eliminate the Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Section 521 Rental Assistance (RA) would get $1.345 billion, and Section 542 vouchers would receive $20 million. All RA funds would be used to renew existing contracts. All rural housing direct loan programs would be defunded, as would farmworker housing grants, housing preservation grants, the MPR rental preservation program, and the Rural Community Development Initiative.

A stack of President Trump's FY 2018 Budget Proposal to Congress

Section 502 guarantees for homeownership and Section 538 guarantees for rental housing production would remain at, or slightly above, FY17 levels. Because these programs cover their own costs through fees, the government pays only the costs of administering them.

The Rural Economic Infrastructure Grant program would receive $162 million to replace Section 504 grants (Section 504 loans would be eliminated), community facilities grants, telemedicine distance learning grants, and broadband grants. There are no guidelines for dividing the funds among those four purposes, so some of these programs could receive no funding at all. Also, almost half – “not more than $80,000,000” – of this pool of funding can be used in Appalachia, while no other regions are mentioned.

Congress will now take over the FY18 appropriations process. House Republican leaders are expected to release their own budget in June. [tdborder][/tdborder]

USDA Rural Dev. Prog.
(dollars in millions)

FY16 Approp.

FY17 Approp.

FY18 Trump Budget Proposal

502 Single Fam. Direct
Self-Help setaside

$900
5

$1,000
5

0
0

502 Single Family Guar.

24,000

24,000

24,000

504 VLI Repair Loans

26.3

26.3

0

504 VLI Repair Grants

28.7

28.7

a

515 Rental Hsg. Direct Lns.

28.4

35

0

514 Farm Labor Hsg. Lns.

23.9

23.9

0b

516 Farm Labor Hsg. Grts.

8.3

8.3

0

521 Rental Assistance

1,390

1,405c

1,345d

523 Self-Help TA

27.5

30

0e

533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants

3.5

5

0

538 Rental Hsg. Guar.

150

230

250

Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)

22

22

0

542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers

15

19.4

20f

Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.

4

4

0

a. Combined into a new Rural Economic Infrastructure Grants pool along with community facilities grants, telemedicine distance learning grants, and broadband grants.
b. Also proposes to rescind $4 million in unobligated 514/516 funds.
c. Includes $40 million in advance funding for FY18.
d. Only for renewals of existing RA contracts.
e. Also proposes to rescind $11 million in currently unobligated self-help funds.
f. Also proposes to rescind $4 million in unobligated MPR funds.