Congress Enacts 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Bill
Congress has passed the conference report for the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2009 (HR 3288), an omnibus spending package that provides FY 2010 funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund, among other agencies. The bill passed the House by a vote of 221-202 on December 10 and the Senate by a vote of 57-35 on December 13. President Obama signed the legislation on December 16, 2009.
The bill, which was reported out of conference on December 8, became the FY10 omnibus spending vehicle for six appropriations bills that were awaiting enactment. A continuing resolution passed in September had been funding HUD and other federal activities at FY09 levels in lieu of an FY10 appropriation; it was set to expire on December 18.
Under the conference agreement, the Community Development Fund gets $4.45 billion. Included in this total are: $3.99 in formula grants (a roughly $300 million increase over FY 2009), $150 million for a new Sustainable Communities Initiative, which is an effort to integrate housing transportation, energy and environmental planning at the regional level; $172 million in project-specific Economic Development Initiative grants; $65 million for Indian tribes; $22 million for project-specific neighborhood initiatives to improve conditions in distressed and blighted neighborhoods, and $25 million for a Rural Innovation Fund to address concentrations of rural housing distress and community poverty; and $25 million to continue HUD’s partnerships with Historically Black and other colleges and universities.
The Sustainable Communities Initiative is designed to support an interagency collaboration among HUD, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Funding includes $100 million for regional integrated planning grants, $40 million for Community Challenge Planning Grants and $10 million for HUD, in partnership with DOT, to conduct research around the Initiative.
The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is level-funded under the conference report at this year’s $1.825 billion. The conference agreement also contains $1.865 billion for homeless housing programs. The amount includes full funding for renewal of Shelter Plus Care rent subsidy contracts, requires a 25 percent match for social services, and requires all homeless fund recipients to coordinate with other mainstream and targeted social services programs.
The conference report includes $17.5 million in funding for Brownfields Redevelopment Program. The agreement also includes $275 million for the Section 108 loan guarantee program under CDBG.
Also included in the conference agreement is $18.184 billion to renew expiring Section-8 tenant-based rent subsidy contracts. Included in the total is funding for 10,000 additional vouchers for homeless veterans. Also included in the conference agreement is $8.55 billion to renew Section-8 project-based rent subsidy contracts.
The public housing capital fund would get $2.5 billion under the agreement. The public housing operating fund gets $4.77 billion. The bill funds both HOPE VI ($200 million) and the new Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (as a $65 million set-aside within the HOPE VI account). This initiative expands the Hope VI demolition and replacement of severely distressed public housing to include other federally-assisted housing. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is intended to transform poverty neighborhoods into sustainable mixed income communities. Recipients are encouraged to form partnerships with local governments who can bring other resources to the table such as job-training and social services.
The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program would be funded at $335 million under the agreement.
Housing counseling gets $87.5 million under the conference report. The conference report also includes $50 million for an energy innovation fund. The funding is intended to promote local initiatives that can be replicated in cost-saving energy retrofits of existing housing.
The section 202 elderly housing program is funded at $825 million under the agreement while the section 811 housing program for persons with disabilities is funded at $300 million. Finally, for the CDFI Fund, $107 million is appropriated for CDFI Program Financial Awards and Technical Assistance, and $80 million for the newly established Capital Magnet Fund.
The President is expected to make his request to Congress for FY 2011 funding the first week in February 2010.
Link to a budget chart for HUD programs from the National Low Income Housing Coalition at: http://www.nlihc.org/doc/FY10-chart-12-17-09.pdf
Visit the Library of Congress website for further information on the appropriation legislation.
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