Policy

Updated Sept. 20: Senate Committee Votes to Keep Most Rural Housing Programs at FY19 Funding Levels

UPDATE September 20, 2019 – When HAC first posted about the bill, its text was not yet available and the information on this page was based on a summary from the Democratic members of the House Appropriations Committee. On September 20 the bill text was posted online. There are no changes to the information originally provided.

UPDATE September 19, 2019 – The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved the subcommittee’s bill.

On September 17, 2019 the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee approved a fiscal year 2020 spending bill that holds most USDA rural housing programs at 2019 levels, with increases for Section 521 Rental Assistance and Section 542 rural housing vouchers. This is far above the Administration’s budget proposal, but the bill approved by the House in June would increase funding for several other rural housing programs as well. If the full Senate approves the subcommittee’s bill, the differences between the House and Senate will have to be resolved by a conference committee.

USDA Rural Development Appropriations[tdborder][/tdborder]

USDA Rural Dev. Prog.
(dollars in millions)

FY18 Approp.

FY19 Final Approp.

FY20 Admin. Budget FY20 House Bill
(H.R. 3055)
FY20 Senate Bill (S. 2522)

502 Single Fam. Direct
Self-Help setaside*

$1,100
5

$1,000
5

0
0

$1,000
0

$1,000
5

502 Single Family Guar.

24,000

24,000 24,000 24,000 24,000

504 VLI Repair Loans

28

28 0 28 28

504 VLI Repair Grants

30

30 0 30 30

515 Rental Hsg. Direct Lns.

40

40 0 45 40

514 Farm Labor Hsg. Lns.

23

27.5 0 30 27.5

516 Farm Labor Hsg. Grts.

8.4

10 0 10 10

521 Rental Assistance

1,345

1,331.4 1,375 1,375 1,375

523 Self-Help TA

30

30 0 32 30

533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants

10

15 0 15 15

538 Rental Hsg. Guar.

230

230 250 250 230

Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)

22

24.5 0 40 24.5

542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers

25

27 35 35 32

Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.

4

6 0 8 6

Rental Prsrv. TA

1

1 0 0 1

* For the self-help setaside in Section 502 direct, the figures in the table represent budget authority, not program levels.