For the last month, Congress has considered an appropriations minibus, H.R. 2112, to incorporate Fiscal Year 2012 spending bills for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related programs. On November 14, a House-Senate conference committee approved a compromise minibus measure in the form of a conference report. The package also proposes another stopgap funding bill for the entire federal government to carry through December 16, 2011. On November 18, President Obama signed appropriations minibus, H.R. 2112 into law.
HUD’s FY 2012 net funding will be approximately $37.4 billion, about $3.7 billion (9 percent) less than the enacted funding level for FY 2011. Many major HUD programs, including HOME, CDBG, the Public Housing Operating Fund, and the Public Housing Capital Fund are cut significantly from FY 2011 levels. Notably, the bill slashes funding for the HOME program to $1 billion, and mandates new oversight requirements and regulatory language for community development program funds. The bill also provides no money for the Sustainable Communities Initiative, a major target in the House. However, the FY 2012 funding levels for Project-Based Section 8 Vouchers and Tenant-Based Housing Choice Vouchers have been increased over FY 2011.
The bill provides $120 million for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, and includes authorizing language for the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, a proposal of the Obama Administration. This demonstration will allow for the voluntary conversion of current federal subsidies and assistance to public housing properties and to certain other types of eligible multifamily housing projects to project-based rental assistance under long-term contracts. The bill directs HUD to competitively select projects — accepting applications up until September 30, 2012; limits conversions to no more than 60,000 units; requires HUD to solicit comments on draft eligibility, selection criteria, and procedures; and requires HUD to provide opportunity for comment from residents of properties proposed for conversion. The conference directs that HUD, in establishing the criteria for the competition, seek to demonstrate the feasibility of the conversion model to recapitalize and operate public housing properties (1) in different markets and geographic areas, (2) within portfolios managed by public housing agencies of varying sizes, and (3) by leveraging other sources of funding to recapitalize properties. Learn more about the Rental Assistance Demonstration.
Summary Chart
|
Program |
FY-2011 Enacted |
WH FY-2012 Budget |
HUD FY 2012 Approved |
|
Community Development Fund |
$3,500,984 |
$3,781,368 |
$2,948,090 |
|
HOME |
$1,606,780,000 |
$1,650,000,000 |
$1,000,000,000 |
|
Project-Based Section 8 |
$9,264,563 |
$9,428,672,000 |
$9,339,672,000 |
|
Housing Choice Vouchers* |
$18,37-8,872,624 |
$19,222,569,082 |
$18,914,369,000 |
|
Public Housing Operating Funds |
$4,616,748,000 |
$3,961,850,000 |
$3,961,850,000 |
|
Public Housing Capital Funds |
$2,040,111,600 |
$2,405,345,000 |
$1,875,000,000 |
|
Homeless Assistance Grants |
$1,901,190,000 |
$2,372,000,000 |
$1,901,190,000 |
|
Section 202 |
$399,200,000 |
$757,000,000 |
$374,627,000 |
|
Section 811 |
$149,700,000 |
$196,000,000 |
$165,000,000 |
|
VASH |
$49,900,000 |
$75,000,000 |
$75,000,000 |
|
HOPWA |
$334,330,000 |
$335,000,000 |
$332,000,000 |
|
HOPE VI/Choice Neighborhoods |
$165,000,000 |
$250,000,000 |
$120,000,000 |
|
Rental Assistance Demonstration** |
0 |
$200,000,000 |
$0 |
|
Sustainable Communities |
$99,800,000 |
$150,000,000 |
$0 |
|
RD Section 515 Direct Loans (obligation) |
$69,372,976 |
$95,236,000 |
$64,478,000 |
|
RD Section 538 Loan Guarantees (obligation) |
$30,898,080 |
0 |
$130,000,000 |
|
RD Rental Assistance |
0 |
0 |
$904,653,000 |
* Total Housing Choice Vouchers funding numbers includes VASH Vouchers
** Conference committee version includes authorizing language
To view a detailed summary of the FY 2012 conference report appropriations from the House Appropriations Committee, click here.
To view the full conference report, click here.
To view the final H.R. 2112 bill text, click here.
