The House Appropriations Subcommittee approved the fiscal year 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill provides $26.55 billion in funding – an increase of $2.851 billion, more than 10 percent – above 2021. Of note, the legislation:
- Grows opportunity and lifts up rural communities by increasing funding for rural broadband, connecting more communities to the internet through a program that last year got more than 100,000 people connected to the 21st century economy.
- Includes $1.45 billion for rental assistance and rental vouchers for affordable rental housing for low-income families and the elderly in rural communities to renew all existing rental assistance contracts. In FY 2020, Rural Development housing programs provided affordable housing to 138,331 rural homeowners.
