On April 9, 2022, the Biden Administration released its summary request for fiscal year (FY) 2022 discretionary funding. The full budget will not be available in time for the start of the Congress’s annual appropriations and budget process. However, given the importance of the appropriations process proceeding on schedule, this report includes the topline request. Provisions of note to the real estate industry include:
- Broadband Access: Provides an increase of $65 million over the 2021 enacted level for Reconnect, the Rural e-Connectivity Program which provides a down payment for grants and loans to deploy broadband to unserved areas, prioritizing tribal lands. This investment would build on the funding provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
- Safe Drinking Water and Waste Water Infrastructure: Provides $717 million for Rural Water and Wastewater Grants and Loans, an increase of $100 million over the 2021 enacted level.
- Wildfire Threats: Provides $1.7 billion for high-priority hazardous fuels and forest resilience projects, an increase of$476 million over the 2021 enacted level.
- Climate Change and Other Disaster Challenges: Provides an additional $540 million above the 2021 enacted level to incorporate climate impacts into pre-disaster planning and resilience efforts.
- Water Infrastructure: Provides a total of $3.6 billion for water infrastructure, an increase of $625 million over the 2021 enacted level.
- Student Loan Debt: Invests an additional $3 billion in Pell Grants or roughly $400 per grant.
- Small Business Administration: Provides $852 million for the SBA, a $72 million increase from FY 2021.
- Housing Choice Vouchers: Provides $30.4 billion, an increase of $5.4 billion over the 2021 enacted level, to maintain services for all currently assisted families and expand assistance to an additional200,000 households, prioritizing those who are homeless or fleeing domestic violence.
- Homelessness: Provides $3.5 billion, an increase of $500 million over the 2021 enacted level, for Homeless Assistance Grants to support more than 100,000 additional households, including survivors of domestic violence and homeless youth.
- Energy Efficiency, Resilience, and Safety in HUD-Assisted Housing: Fully funds operating costs across this portfolio, but also provides $800 million in new investments across HUD programs for modernization and rehabilitation aimed at energy efficiency and resilience to climate change impacts, such as increasingly frequent and severe floods. In addition, the request includes $3.2 billion for Public Housing modernization grants, an increase of $435 million above the 2021 enacted level.
- Affordable Housing: Provides a $1.9 billion to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, an increase of $500 million, to construct and rehabilitate affordable rental housing, and to support other housing-related needs. The request provides $180 million to support 2,000 units of new permanently affordable housing for the elderly and persons with disabilities, supporting independent living for seniors and people with disabilities.
- Affordable Housing in Tribal Communities: Provides $900 million to fund tribal efforts to expand affordable housing, improve housing conditions and infrastructure, and increase economic opportunities for low-income families.
- Infrastructure Modernization and Rehabilitation in Marginalized Communities: Provides $3.8 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program, which includes a targeted increase of $295 million to incentivize communities to direct formula funds toward the modernization and rehabilitation of public infrastructure and facilities in historically underfunded and marginalized communities facing persistent poverty.
- Lead and Other Home Health Hazards: Provides $400 million, an increase of $40 million, for State and local governments and nonprofits to reduce lead-based paint and other health hazards in the homes of low-income families with young children.
- Access to Homeownership and Pandemic Relief: The discretionary request supports access to homeownership for underserved borrowers through the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) mortgage insurance programs.
- Prevent and Redress Housing Discrimination: Provides $85 million in grants to support State and local fair housing enforcement organizations and to further education, outreach, and training on rights and responsibilities under Federal fair housing laws.
- Second Great Rail Revolution: Provides $1 billion, including $625 million for a new passenger rail competitive grant program.
- Capital Investment Grant Program: Provides $2.5 billion to fund transit improvements, a 23% boost from current levels.
- Thriving Communities Initiative Pilot: Provides $110 million for a new program to provide grants and technical assistance for communities to "improve access and foster community vibrancy and serve as a down-payment on advancing transportation equity," states the request.
- Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development: Provides$1 billion for a grant program to help communities deliver innovative transportation projects.
- Unemployment Insurance System: Provides support to improve States’ administration of their unemployment insurance programs including an additional $100 million to support the development of IT solutions for states to ensure timely and equitable access to benefits.
- DOL Worker Protection Agency: Provides $2.1 billion in the Department of Labor, an increase of $304 million or 17 percent over the 2021 enacted level, in the Department’s worker protection agencies. The proposed funds would enable the Department to conduct the enforcement and regulatory work needed to ensure workers’ wages, benefits, and rights are protected, address the misclassification of workers as independent contractors, and improve workplace health and safety.