NLIHC continues to urge advocates to contact their members of Congress about fully funding rural housing programs. President Donald Trump’s proposed FY18 budget would require significant reductions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural housing appropriations, including a $60 million cut to Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, the elimination of the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization program, and the elimination of key homeownership programs, including Section 502 Direct Homeownership Loans and Section 523 Mutual Self-Help Housing. The full House Appropriations Committee voted to advance their FY18 USDA spending bill on July 12. While the bill rejects Mr. Trump’s more drastic cuts and program eliminations, it would still significantly reduce funding for rural housing programs from FY17 spending levels. (See related article in this issue of Memo)
NLIHC and nearly 600 organizations from across the country signed onto a letter circulated by the National Rural Housing Coalition (NRHC) opposing Mr. Trump’s proposed cuts and supporting federal rural housing investments.
NLIHC encourages advocates to call their members of Congress to urge them to fully fund rural housing programs.
Contact your Congressional delegation directly at: http://bit.ly/2rr1AkV.
Read NRHC’s press release about rural advocates’ letter to Congress at: http://prn.to/2tmTGWB.
Review NLIHC’s analysis of the Trump administration’s proposed budget, including funding for USDA Rural Housing programs, at: http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/Trump-Budget.pdf.
Read the draft FY18 USDA spending bill at: http://bit.ly/2uSk2B2.
Watch a recording of the House Appropriations Committee markup at: http://bit.ly/2uRY9C0.
Review NLIHC’s budget chart at: http://bit.ly/1SowzjU.