The House Appropriations Committee’s decision to reject an amendment that would have restored vital financing for fair housing was condemned by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA).
The House Appropriations Committee’s approval of the FY26 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act included significant cuts to vital fair housing funding, leaving people of color, disabled veterans, elderly people, survivors of domestic abuse, families with children, and others vulnerable during the country’s fair and affordable housing crisis.
The bill implements the Trump administration’s budget proposal, which included cutting essential funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which provides funding to regional, community-based fair housing organizations across the country. These cuts are being made in spite of the fact that, in 2023, at a period when the number of housing discrimination complaints in the country is at an all-time high, FHIP-funded groups handled more than 75% of all 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 EVP 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.”
What This Means for America
HUD’s FHIP funding, which was established during the Reagan Administration and has continuously received strong bipartisan support in Congress, has helped millions of people access fair housing opportunities, assisted thousands of families in finding discrimination-free housing, and helped local housing providers better understand their legal obligations. It is a competitive grant program that offers localized support to individuals who experience discrimination in financing and housing through nonprofit fair housing organizations. The only federal funding available to local, nonprofit, private enforcement, and fair housing programs is FHIP financing.
The House unveiled its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 THUD appropriations bill draft on Sunday, July 13. The bill was marked up by the House Appropriations THUD subcommittee on Monday, July 14th at 5 p.m. ET. At 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 17, the whole House Appropriations Committee convened to continue deliberating on the bill. One of the amendments proposed during the July 17th markup was to reinstate money for the country’s fair housing initiatives. Bipartisan support for the amendment, despite its failure, demonstrated the long-standing, shared commitment to upholding the Fair Housing Act.
The House unveiled its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 THUD appropriations bill draft on Sunday, July 13. The bill was marked up by the House Appropriations THUD subcommittee on Monday, July 14th at 5 p.m. ET. At 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 17, the whole House Appropriations Committee convened to continue deliberating on the bill. One of the amendments proposed during the July 17th markup was to reinstate money for the country’s fair housing initiatives.
Bipartisan support for the amendment, despite its failure, demonstrated the long-standing, shared commitment to upholding the Fair Housing Act. The House measure calls for the FHIP program to be discontinued and only provides $68 million for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a reduction of $18 million from its existing budget. FHEO already has inadequate funding, which leads to low staffing levels. At a time when housing discrimination complaints are at an all-time high, the House bill will drastically cut FHEO’s workforce.
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