Dive Brief:
- In a letter signed by 148 mayors, the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to fully fund federal housing programs, including the HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant programs that the Trump administration has proposed eliminating.
- The Nov. 9 letter also asks Congress to provide a funding stream to kickstart programs and pilots authorized under the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.
- Congress signed a continuing resolution Sept. 2 in lieu of finalizing appropriations for fiscal year 2027. That resolution expires Dec. 11. The USCM called for another continuing resolution ahead of that date to avoid a lapse in funding.
Dive Insight:
Housing affordability, a central theme in the midterm election, is likely to remain a priority for Congress as the Democratic Party takes control of the House and Senate, according to experts.
The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act became law in July, but the landmark housing legislation as it stands could take years to start benefiting local governments as intended, analysis has shown.
The bulk of the preparation work falls on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is tasked with establishing the act’s four core grant programs by July 11, 2027, according to USCM’s letter.
“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act authorized several new competitive grant programs and pilots that give cities powerful new tools — but most of them were authorized without a funding stream,” the USCM letter states in requesting funding for eight of the law’s programs. “Without appropriations, these tools will exist on paper only.”
In addition to fully funding these housing programs, USCM called on Congress to create “guardrails ensuring the Administration releases congressionally approved funding to communities as intended, without withholding, redirecting, or rescinding it.”
The courts have repeatedly blocked the Trump administration’s attempts to rewrite federal funding rules related to housing and homeless aid. A Government Accountability Office report also found the administration had not distributed more than $2 billion in disaster mitigation grants as of October.
