House of Representatives-proposed amendments to the fiscal year 2024 federal housing spending bill are raising concerns among senior living advocates.
The full House, pending appointment of a new speaker, could start considering its 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill this week. Last week, several amendments were submitted that are creating “great concern,” according to LeadingAge:
- Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) introduced an amendment that would reduce funding by $4.9 billion to get spending closer to FY22 levels.
- Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-SC) amendment would prohibit funding to be used “to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out any diversity, equity and inclusion office, program or training.”
- Rep. Glenn Grothman’s (R-WI) amendment would cut funding for HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program in half. The CDBG program provides grants to states, cities and counties to develop housing for low- and moderate-income people.
- Rep. George Santos (R-NY) introduced an amendment to defund HUD’s Office of Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity, which is responsible for enforcing federal laws barring discrimination in employment practices.
- Rep. Brian Mast’s (R-FL amendment would prevent funds to be used for financial assistance to anyone aged 21 to 59 who is “able bodied, is not pregnant, has no medical or physical barriers to employer (sic), and does not have anyone under the age of 18 living with them.”
LeadingAge Vice President of Housing and Aging Services Policy Linda Coucy told McKnight’s Senior Living that the “harmful amendments” to FY24 HUD funding come at a time of growing need for affordable housing and uncertain funding.
“The amendments could either further jeopardize providers’ access to crucial resources that help to serve low-income older adults living in communities and supports for older aduls — such as through assistance and training programs — or cut resources for critical HUD programs, which could leave lower-income older adults in need without homes,” Couch said.
On the flip side, LeadingAge supports two proposed amendments — Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) proposed increasing Section 202 funding by $10 million with funds transferred form HUD administrative support offices; and Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) propsed a $5 million incrase to Section 202 funding with funds transferred from HUD administrative support and program offices.
In July, the House funding proposal cut 15% from the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program and reduced HUD’s overall budget by 25% compared with FY23 funding.
HUD’s FY24 $73.3 billion budget request was $1.1 billion more than the 2023 enacted funding level and asked for $104 billion over 10 years for new mandatory affordable housing investments. The request included additional resources for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly programming to develop more affordable senior housing. HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge described President Biden’s budget as containing a “historic investment” to lower housing costs, expand housing supply, improve access to affordable rental units and homeownership and advance efforts to end homelessness.
Aside from containing no funding for new Section 202 units, the House bill also did not provide funding for new service coordinator grants, eliminated the Older Adult Home Modification Program and prohibited HUD from using its funding to implement Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
The Senate is expected to begin considering a three-bill appropriations package, which includes its FY24 spending bill, next week.
