On March 15, 2022, President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 that was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate the previous week. The package includes all 12 full-year funding appropriation bills. The federal government had been operating under a number of short-term continuing resolutions since the 2022 fiscal year began on October 1, 2021.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) bill includes $53.7 billion for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, an increase of $4 billion over enacted fiscal year 2021 level. It includes $200 million in new Tenant-based Rental Assistance that will provide up to 25,000 housing vouchers for families (including individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence) and veterans. The Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD) is expanded to allow Section 811 housing for people with disabilities to be preserved and modernized. The package also reauthorizes and strengthens the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge issued a statement on the signing of the spending agreement that in part states:

"The agreement expands housing choice vouchers to tens of thousands of low-income individuals and families, including those experiencing homelessness, protects housing assistance for millions of households, and confronts the affordable housing crisis head-on through investments to boost supply. It provides funding to improve the energy efficiency of housing and increase resilience to climate impacts. The agreement also provides record-level funding for lead hazard reduction and Healthy Homes grants, increasing the safety of families and children in their own homes and advancing environmental justice. Having a safe, affordable home is foundational to life, and the agreement will expand opportunity for households through homeownership and rental assistance, while supporting strong, healthy, and economically vibrant communities."

Additional details of the fiscal year 2022 HUD program funding are available in our earlier legal Alert, House Passes FY2022 Omnibus Spending Bill; Next Up the Senate.

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