Appropriations Subcommittee Releases Fiscal Year 2023 Agriculture-Rural Development-FDA Funding Bill
This week, the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee released text of the Fiscal Year 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. If approved, the bill would provide a total of more than $4.2 billion for rural development programs. For rural rental assistance, the bill includes over $1.5 billion for rental assistance and rental vouchers for affordable rental housing for low-income families and the elderly in rural communities to renew all existing rental assistance contracts to assist approximately 140,000 families. This includes providing:
- $1. 494 billion for 521 Rental Assistance,
- $150 million for Section 515 Rental Housing Direct Loans
- $38 million for Section 542 vouchers,
- $40 million for MPR program, and
- $300 million for the Section 538 multifamily loan guarantee program, which are substantial increases from FY22 funding level to signal the administration’s commitment to affordable housing in rural communities.
Additional funding is provided for information technology investments such as providing over $560 million for the expansion of broadband service to provide economic development opportunities and improved education and healthcare services. This includes $450 million for the ReConnect program. These significant investments in broadband reflect a commitment to enabling Americans in rural communities to access digital tools necessary to improve health, educational, and economic outcomes. The full House Appropriations Committee is expected to consider the bill next week. However, it remains unclear if the Senate will conclude the appropriations process before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2022.
To view the Subcommittee mark-up of the draft funding bill, click here.
President Signs Executive Order Addressing Housing Instability Among LGBTQI+ Individuals
This week, to mark Pride Month, President Biden signed an Executive Order Advancing Equality for LGBTQI+ Individuals. In part, the executive order seeks to address LGBTQI+ homelessness and housing instability. President Biden has directed HUD to launch a new Working Group on LGBTQI+ Homelessness and Housing Equity. That Working Group will lead new efforts to identity and address the barriers to housing faced by LGBTQI+ people, provide guidance and technical assistance to housing providers on serving LGBTQI+ individuals, and seek new funding opportunities for culturally appropriate services that address barriers to housing for LGBTQI+ individuals.
To view the full announcement, click here.