WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today approved a bill in a 29-1 vote that will provide much needed federal funding for transportation projects and housing programs in Rhode Island in fiscal year 2015.  U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD), who supported the bill, says it will help fund key economic development initiatives and infrastructure improvements in Rhode Island. 

The funding, part of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides $54.4 billion in discretionary budget authority for fiscal year 2015 to help improve transportation infrastructure, including roads and bridges, railroads, and transit systems, as well as support for community development, rental housing assistance, homelessness prevention, and other U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiatives.  The bill includes another $18 billion in budget authority for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), for a total of $72 billion in budgetary resources for fiscal year 2015.  This total level of budgetary resources is $536 million more than the fiscal year 2014 enacted level.

“This funding will help create jobs, grow the economy, and improve Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure.  We need bipartisan cooperation to advance our transportation and housing needs and this bill is a step in the right direction,” said Reed.

The current authorization law that outlines federal funding for highway, bridge, and surface transportation projects expires at the end of the fiscal year, September 30.  And the Highway Trust Fund, which supports federal spending for highway and transit projects, is expected to run dry this summer if Congress fails to act.  Congress last authorized a major transportation bill -- known as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act - in 2012, a two year bill that provided Rhode Island about $240 million in federal funds per year in 2013 and 2014. 

“We can’t afford partisan gridlock.  Congress needs to get moving to ensure the safety and repair of our roads and bridges, and the stability of our economy,” said Reed.

Highlights of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill include:

  • $40.3 billion for the Federal-aid Highway program, honoring the funding level authorized in the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) Act.
  • $15.9 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  • $9.7 billion for Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA).
  • $3.02 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program.
  • $2.15 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants. 
  • $1.39 billion for Amtrak.
  • $950 million in HOME block grant for creating affordable housing for low-income households.
  • $550 million for TIGER grants to support significant transportation projects in a wide variety of modes, including highways and bridges, public transportation, passenger and freight railroads, and port infrastructure.  This includes $35 million for planning grants.
  • $75 million for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) to provide housing for 10,000 homeless veterans.

The bill also includes language authored by Senator Reed to expand the reach of the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program to more families who are currently excluded due to a technicality related to the kind of housing assistance a family receives.  The bill would open up the FSS program to families who live in privately-owned properties subsidized with project-based rental assistance.  FSS helps low-income families receiving federal housing assistance develop the skills they need to improve their financial status and achieve greater economic independence.

Now that it has been approved by the Appropriations Committee, the bill must be passed by the full U.S. Senate and reconciled with the U.S. House of Representatives’ version of the bill. 

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