On August 1st, the Senate voted to pass H.R. 6147, a Minibus Bill providing funding for FY 2019 for, among other departments, HUD. The vote was 92-6, with no notable surprises found in both the Yea and Nay votes. Highlights of the FY 2019 HUD appropriations are as follows-

* $44.5 billion in total allocations for HUD for FY 2019.

* A total of $22.780987 billion allocated for Tenant-Based Section 8 ($18.780987 billion allocated for FY 2019, plus $4 billion being carried over from the FY 2018 Omnibus allocations). $20.52 billion of this funding is designated as funding the renewal of expiring Housing Choice Vouchers.

* $2.775 billion allocated for Public Housing Capital Fund, and this funding will remain available until September 30, 2022.

* $4.756 billion allocated for the Public Housing Operating Fund, which is to remain available until September 30, 2020.

* $100 million allocated for the CHOICE Neighborhoods Initiative, and these funds will remain available until September 30, 2021.

* $3.365 billion allocated for the Community Development Fund, and $3.3 billion of these funds will be for CDBG. These funds will remain available until September 30, 2021.

* $1.362 billion allocated for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and this funding will remain available until September 30, 2022.

* $11.374 billion allocated for Section 8 PBRA (in addition to the $400 million being carried over from the FY 2018 Omnibus).

* $678 million allocated for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly, and the funds will remain available until September 30, 2022.

* $154 million allocated for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities, and funds will remain available until September 30, 2022.

* $260 million allocated to combat lead-based paint, and this funding will remain available until September 30, 2020.

These funding numbers match those of the FY 2019 THUD Spending Bill that was sent to the Senate floor by the Appropriations Committee back in June. As the House version of the Minibus does not include THUD funding (among other provisions), reconciliation is required. The House is currently on its August Recess Period, so the final version of the bill will not be sent to the President’s desk until September. It should be noted that President Trump has threatened to not sign any of the Minibus bills sent to him unless key demands concerning immigration are met, including the full funding of his proposed wall running the length of our southern border.

Read the bill (HUD appropriations start on page 501, and end on page 584)