House Appropriations Committee’s Cuts to Fair Housing Funding Leaves Disabled Veterans, Seniors, and Others Unprotected from Housing Discrimination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

House Appropriations Committee’s Cuts to Fair Housing Funding Leaves Disabled Veterans, Seniors, and Others Unprotected from Housing Discrimination

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance® (NFHA ™) denounced the House Appropriations Committee decision to reject an amendment to restore critical fair housing funding.

The FY26 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act that was approved by the House Appropriations Committee included deep cuts to critical fair housing funding, leaving disabled veterans, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, families with children, people of color, and more unprotected during the nation’s fair and affordable housing crisis. The bill follows the recommendations in the Trump administration’s budget proposal, including eliminating vital funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which funds local, community-based fair housing organizations throughout the U.S. These cuts are being taken despite the reality that in 2023, FHIP-funded organizations processed over 75 percent of all housing discrimination complaints filed, during a time where the nation is facing a record number of housing discrimination complaints.

“The House Appropriations Committee’s actions leave disabled veterans, seniors, survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, people of color, and others seeking housing free of discrimination without protection during the nation’s escalating fair and affordable housing crisis. Failing to fully fund local fair housing organizations who are on the ground assisting everyday Americans with accessing safe, affordable, and accessible housing is critical,” said NFHA’s Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey. “It is crucial for Congress to ensure FHIP-funded local organizations have the resources they need to continue to assist people facing housing discrimination and help them avoid homelessness.”

Created during the Reagan Administration and consistently funded with strong bipartisan support in Congress, HUD’s FHIP funding has helped thousands of families to access housing free from discrimination, extended fair housing opportunities to millions of people, and prepared local housing providers to better understand their responsibilities under the law. It is a competitive grant program that, through nonprofit fair housing organizations, provides localized assistance to people who face housing and lending discrimination. FHIP funding is the only federal resource for local, nonprofit, private enforcement and fair housing services.

On Sunday, July 13th, the House released its draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 THUD appropriations bill. The House Appropriations THUD subcommittee held a mark-up of the bill on Monday, July 14th at 5pm ET. The full House Appropriations Committee met Thursday, July 17th at 10am ET for further consideration of the bill. During the July 17th mark-up, several amendments were offered including one to restore funding to the nation’s fair housing programs. Though the amendment failed to pass, it received bipartisan support, reflecting the longstanding, bipartisan commitment to enforcing the Fair Housing Act. In addition to calling for the elimination of the FHIP program, the House bill allocates only $68 million for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), which cuts $18 million from its current budget. FHEO is already underfunded, resulting in insufficient staffing levels. The House bill will significantly reduce FHEO’s staff at a time when complaints of housing discrimination are at an all-time high.

The National Fair Housing Alliance calls upon members of the Senate Appropriatons Committee to reject any measure that seeks to eliminate critical funding to fair housing programs and ensure FHIP is fully funded in the FY26 budget. Failure to do so means that the nation’s fair and affordable housing crisis will only worsen at a time when voters are seeking federal interventions to address the barrage of skyrocketing rents; a lack of supply of affordable housing units; increased complaints of housing discrimination; and elevated rates of homelessness.

###

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 200 fair housing and justice-centered organizations throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.