FY 2019 Federal Housing Budget Update

President Trump's FY 2019 budget proposal requests an 18.3 percent reduction in the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budget from the 2017 enacted level. It proposes underfunding Section 202 Project Rental Assistance Contracts and Project-Based Rental Assistance contract renewals and zeroing out the Public Housing Capital Fund. The budget request also zeroes out the HOME and Community Development Block Grant programs and eliminates the National Housing Trust Fund. It does, however, include a $100 million request to expand the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program, including for Section 202 communities with Project Rental Assistance Contracts, which is a priority for LeadingAge National and LeadingAge NY. The budget request also refers to rent reform regulation that would raise rents for all HUD residents, do away with medical expense and other income deductions, and allow housing authorities to impose work requirements for non-elderly, non-disabled residents.

Shortly after the release of the President's budget proposal, Congress authorized spending cap increases for both defense and non-defense discretionary programs. Because the non-defense discretionary spending cap was raised, President Trump released an addendum to his original budget proposal that included an additional $2 billion for HUD, reducing the overall cuts to the Department. When the $2 billion in funding included in the addendum is considered, the proposed reduction in HUD’s budget goes from 18.3 percent to approximately 14 percent. The addendum proposes the following allocations for the additional $2 billion: $1 billion to “hold harmless” elderly households and households with persons with disabilities from HUD’s proposed rent increases; $700 million to restore housing choice voucher funding from some of the cuts proposed for FY 2019; and $300 million for the Public Housing Operating Fund account.

While the addendum restores some funding to the HUD budget, many programs that provide housing for elderly individuals are still grossly underfunded. Steps you can take to advocate for adequate funding for senior housing and services programs include:

Signing on to LeadingAge National’s letter to Congress arguing for more HUD funding, not less;
Attending the PEAK Leadership Summit from March 18th-21st in Washington D.C., and registering for LeadingAge's Lobby Day at the Capitol held on March 21;
Contacting your state representatives to advocate for adequate spending at the state level, including creating and funding an Affordable Senior Housing Resident Service Advisor Program; and
Joining LeadingAge NY for its Advocacy Day on March 6^th to fight for programs such as the Resident Service Advisor Program that would support our seniors.

Any questions about advocacy efforts may be directed to Jeff Diamond.

Contact: Jeff Diamond, jdiamond@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8821