Take Action Today! Tell Congress to Protect and Expand Affordable Housing Programs
(Dec. 16, 2025) Congress is currently determining Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations levels for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs. This is our chance to fight for strong investment in American communities – including in proven solutions to address the housing crisis among older adults. HUD’s affordable senior housing programs are effective, and they need to be protected and expanded.
Easily reach your lawmakers directly through LeadingAge’s new action alert.
In a Dec. 10th letter to House and Senate appropriators, LeadingAge urged Congress to invest in effective affordable housing programs that serve older adults with low incomes. The letter describes the need for full-year funding for programs administered by HUD, including Section 202, HUD’s flagship senior housing program. Read the association’s letter here.
As reported by LeadingAge, on Dec. 11th, the House Committee on Financial Services unveiled their Housing in the 21st Century Act, a bipartisan package that will update programs to advance housing development and affordability.
Chairman French Hill (R-AR) said in a statement, “Our goal is to chart a path forward toward greater development capacity and a simplified regulatory framework. I’m proud to advance this package with Ranking Member Waters, Subcommittee Chair Flood, and Ranking Member Cleaver to tackle housing costs and access challenges for American homeowners and renters.”
Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) emphasized that the bill is still evolving, stating, “I want to be clear, however, that today’s introduction is not a final product, as I know there are many more important, bipartisan ideas that I and other Members of the House will want to include as the bill advances.”
The legislation updates vital HUD programs, including HUD’s Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), and includes a requirement for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study barriers to scaling affordable housing supply through HUD Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly and Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities.
Beginning Dec. 16th, the committee will host a two-day markup to address the legislative proposal. The markup comes after the most recent version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), negotiated between House and Senate leaders, was released on Dec. 7th without the housing provisions from the Senate’s bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the Senate on Oct. 9th and for which LeadingAge had advocated.
LeadingAge will stay engaged on the bills to be considered by the House Financial Services Committee on Dec. 16th and 17th, which include some proposals that would expand affordable housing for older adults, a LeadingAge priority. Take action today to voice your support for a strong final funding agreement.
Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866