A bill approved by the House on June 30 provides fiscal year 2006 funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Passed by a vote of 405 to 18 , HR 3058 also funds the Departments of Treasury and Transportation, the judiciary and the District of Columbia. Housing advocates are pleased that House members rejected many of the deepest cuts to housing called for by President Bush in his fiscal year 2006 budget.
The President recommended slashing HUD’s budget by 11. 5 percent, eliminating the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and making deep cuts to public housing, housing for people with disabilities and other programs. But House subcommittee members with jurisdiction over HUD spending rejected many of the President’s deepest cuts when it marked up its bill June 15.

The measure includes modest increases for public housing operating and capital funds but does shortchange some key housing programs. Housing vouchers were increased $735 million over last year’s level, but fell short of President Bush’s recommended $1.1 billion increase. In order to replace the vouchers lost in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, funding for housing vouchers would have to be increased by at least $1.1 billion. The Community Development Block Grant is cut by $240 million.

Visit the National Low Income Housing web site for more information about housing funding: www.nlihc.org. NLIHC also has a table with funding levels: http://www.nlihc.org/news/062305chart.pdf. **BROKEN LINK**

Subscribe: