Senate Appropriations Committee Approves HUD’s FY 2006 Budget
This week, both the Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and HUD and the Senate Appropriations Committee approved FY 2006 HUD appropriations. The Appropriations Committee’s figures were much the same as those approved by the House on June 21st. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the specific allocations are as follows:
Section 8 tenant-based assistance: $15.636 billion
- $870 million above FY 2005
- $209 million below the President’s request
- $5 million more than approved by the House
Section 8 project-based assistance: $5.072 billion
- $226 million below FY 2005
- Same funding as the President’s request
- $18 million less than approved by the House
CDBG: $4.324 billion
- $347 million below FY 2005
- President proposed consolidating CDBG and moving it to the Dept. of Commerce
- $107 million more than approved by the House
HOME: $1.9 billion
- Same as FY 2005
- $41 million below the President’s request
- Same as approved by the House
Section 202 Elderly: $742 million
- $1 million more than FY 2005
- $1 million more than the President’s request
- $1 million more than approved by the House
Section 811 Disabled: $240 million
- $2 million more than FY 2005
- $120 million more than the President’s request
- $2 million more than approved by the House
A NAHMAnalysis will be prepared when the official Senate Committee figures are available.
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Hearing Held in Senate
On Tuesday, July 19, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. In his opening statement, Ranking Member Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) expressed support for the reauthorization bill’s Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence by stating, “At a time when the availability of affordable housing has sunk to record lows, transitional housing for victims is especially needed.” The transitional housing grants provide for rehabilitation and construction of transitional housing and related services to women and their families fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault or stalkers. Echoing Sen. Leahy’s remarks about the housing grants, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) stated that the reauthorization bill, “includes important provisions that will address the severe lack of affordable and transitional housing available for victims fleeing an abuser.”
Lynn Rosenthal of the National Network to End Domestic Violence testified before the committee that housing is “a primary need” for victims escaping domestic violence. Rosenthal stated that victims experience major barriers in obtaining and maintaining housing and often return to their abusers because they cannot find long-term housing. Rosenthal also cited discrimination against domestic violence victims by public and subsidized housing programs.
NAHMA continues to voice concern about the current provisions in S 1197 related to leasing, eviction and termination of tenancy protections for domestic violence victims. Industry partners continue to negotiate with advocacy groups such as the National Network to End Domestic Violence and members of congress to create a more workable solution.
Legislation
On Thursday, July 14, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Housing, introduced a bill to put a provision on jurisdictions’ receipt of CDBG funds (H.R. 3315). Specifically, the bill seeks to withhold CDBG funding from states and communities that do not prohibit the use of eminent domain to take private property for commercial or economic development purposes. This legislation is another response to the Supreme Court’s June 23rd decision in the case
Kelo v. City of New London. H.R. 3315 has been referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
