HUD FY2018 Appropriations: In Brief

Summary

Most of the funding for the activities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) comes from discretionary appropriations provided each year in the annual appropriations acts, typically as a part of the Transportation, HUD, and Related Agencies appropriations bill (THUD). HUD’s programs are designed primarily to address housing problems faced by households with very low incomes or other special housing needs.

Three rental assistance programs—Public Housing, Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance (which funds Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers), and Section 8 project-based rental assistance—account for the majority of the department’s funding (nearly 80% of total HUD appropriations in FY2017). Two flexible block grant programs—HOME and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program—help communities finance a variety of housing and community development activities designed to serve low- and moderate-income families. Other more specialized grant programs help communities meet the needs of homeless persons, including those living with HIV/AIDS. HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures mortgages made by lenders to homebuyers with low down payments and to developers of multifamily rental buildings containing relatively affordable units. FHA collects fees from insured borrowers, which are used to sustain the insurance fund. Surplus FHA funds have been used to offset the cost of the HUD budget.

This In Brief report tracks progress on FY2018 HUD appropriations and provides detailed account-level, and in some cases sub-account-level, funding information and footnotes with additional detail or context. Relevant legislation includes P.L. 115-31, H.R. 3353, S. 1655, and H.R. 3354 (the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018).