NFHA Urges Congressional Appropriators to Invest in Communities and Fair Housing as Budget Process Continues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2023
Contact: Izzy Woodruff | 202-898-1661 | IWoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org

NFHA Urges Congressional Appropriators to Invest in Communities and Fair Housing as Budget Process Continues

Washington, D.C. — The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) released the following statement from Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey, regarding reduced fair housing spending levels in the recent debt ceiling agreement and urged congressional appropriators to keep the nation’s fair housing requirements at the forefront as the appropriations process resumes.

“The National Fair Housing Alliance is extremely concerned that the debt ceiling agreement passed by the House and Senate and signed by the President rescinds $3.3 million in budget authority to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that had previously been set aside for local fair housing enforcement agencies as part of the American Rescue Plan Act. This is deeply troubling.

“As congressional appropriators begin the final work of deciding the exact spending levels for federal agencies, NFHA again urges Congress to support increased fair housing funding recommended in letters sent to appropriators by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Al Green (D-TX). The letters recommend:

• $75.7 million for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program;
• $36.3 million for the Fair Housing Assistance Program; and
• $153 million for HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

“For weeks, the nation’s economic health lay in the balance as negotiations to raise the debt ceiling limit were marred by political jockeying. Now that a debt ceiling agreement is in place, the focus should be squarely on advancing measures that improve the lives of everyday people and protecting people with disabilities, families with children, communities of color, LGBTQIA individuals, and more from housing discrimination.

“Just a few months ago, the Biden-Harris Administration released its proposed budget which doubled down on the Administration’s promise to make racial equity a centerpiece of its domestic policy, and it recognized the deep fair and affordable housing crisis our nation continues to face. Appropriators can continue this important work by ensuring increased and adequate funding for local fair housing enforcement.”

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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations and individuals throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.