WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the fiscal year 2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill.  The $74.3 billion spending package will help advance road and bridge projects, boost aviation safety, expand affordable housing opportunities, and preserve community economic development investments.

The bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to steeply cut transportation and housing programs, and instead provides increases in many key programs.

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee, led efforts to secure additional resources for critical transportation projects, programs that encourage economic growth, and core housing, homelessness prevention, and lead-based paint remediation programs.  Reed worked with Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) to secure unanimous approval by the THUD Subcommittee earlier this week.

“This is a critical spending bill that will put people to work fixing bridges and highways and improving public safety.  It will connect more Americans to jobs and opportunities, strengthen our economy, and make critical investments in our transportation network,” said Senator Reed.

Reed noted that the bill directs over $86.6 billion in budgetary authority to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in order to improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of our transportation networks.  These investments will allow for the development of transformative projects across all modes of transportation and will make significant strides to address the deferred maintenance backlog in our airport, highway, rail, and transit systems.  The bill also includes $1 billion for infrastructure grants that Senator Reed advocated for through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program.

“I am pleased we were able to secure major investments to help states repair and replace aging infrastructure, including bridges.  Our transportation network is the backbone of our economy.  The federal government needs to help states upgrade existing bridge infrastructure to prevent more costly repairs and emergencies down the road,” noted Senator Reed.

The bill also provides $48.6 billion in discretionary resources for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  It makes key investments to preserve affordable housing for nearly 5 million low-income households; prevent and end homelessness for the more than 552,000 people experiencing homelessness; expand affordable housing and community development opportunities in more than 1,200 communities; and improve environmental conditions for more than 19,000 low-income households.  Furthermore, the bill restores funding for critical housing production and economic development programs, which were proposed for elimination in the President’s budget request.  This includes sustained investments in the HOME program and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which give local governments needed resources to advance their communities, support businesses, create jobs, and ensure the availability of decent, affordable housing.

“The Senate THUD bill is sharp bipartisan rebuke of the President’s efforts to slash affordable housing and community development.  It provides needed investments to expand affordable housing opportunities and offers a strong, bipartisan blueprint we can build on,” continued Reed.  “I am also committed to maintaining strong support for housing infrastructure programs, such as CDBG and HOME, which are critically important to families and communities.  I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Collins and our colleagues to get this bipartisan bill across the finish line and provide Rhode Island with a significant bump in housing, transportation, and community development money.”

Senator Reed highlighted several key transportation, housing, and community development projects and programs for Rhode Island funded in the FY2020 appropriations bill, including:

Transportation

Over $242 million for federal highway programs and transit funds under the FAST Act, plus an additional $77 million in general fund appropriations increases for a total of $319.2 million for transportation investments.

As a result of Ranking Member Reed’s efforts, the federal government is projected to invest $70.1 million in Rhode Island bridge improvement and repair projects this year, as well as $45 million in transit funding.

The state will also be able to compete for a share of $1 billion in BUILD grants, formerly known as Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants.  Since 2010, Rhode Island has been awarded over $100 million in federal funds from this program.

The bill includes $2 billion for Amtrak, continuing service for all current routes.  Senator Reed recently secured $12.5 million to upgrade Providence Station and $2.8 million for preliminary engineering for a potential Amtrak stop at T.F. Green Station.

The bill provides $17.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance air safety and upgrade infrastructure.  This level of funding will allow improvements at T.F. Green to remain on schedule.  The bill also supports Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) investments, which will help the FAA and the aviation industry cut travel times, reduce emissions, and better manage congestion and noise challenges.

Housing & Community Development

Nearly $259 million is provided in federal rental assistance through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher and Project-based Rental Assistance programs to help Rhode Islanders living in over 24,000 units across the state, housing more than 40,000 residents.  This represents a projected $29 million increase over last year’s level of funding. 

More than $59 million is included for the operation and capital maintenance of Rhode Island’s 8,800 public housing units.

To help prevent homelessness nationwide and assist families and individuals experiencing homelessness, the bill provides $2.8 billion in homeless assistance grants, of which $280 million is for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). This overall funding is $125 million above fiscal year 2019.  Of these funds, $80 million is for targeted resources for youth, and $50 million is provided to support rapid rehousing projects for survivors of domestic violence.

The bill rejects the President’s proposal to eliminate new resources for this program and includes $40 million to provide 5,100 new incremental rental vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness.  This level of funding is consistent with the fiscal year 2019 enacted level.  Recently, Providence, North Providence, Pawtucket, Tiverton, Bristol, and West Warwick Housing Authorities received $153,000 in HUD-VASH funding to serve 24 more veterans experiencing homelessness.  This builds on the 254 VASH vouchers already serving Rhode Island’s homeless veterans.  The bill also includes Reed’s language directing the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) to improve the coordination between DoD, the VA, the Department of Labor, and HUD in order to prevent the transition of exiting servicemembers into homelessness. 

Senator Reed helped save the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), rejecting President Trump’s proposal to eliminate the CDBG program and instead including $3.3 billion.  This should result in approximately $16.5 million for Rhode Island in FY 2020 CDBG funding.  Senator Reed also included $25 million for a pilot housing program that provides grants to states that are most impacted by the drug overdose epidemic in order to help communities provide stable temporary housing for individuals recovering from substance use disorders, as authorized in Section 8071 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act.  Rhode Island’s SUPPORT allocation is estimated to be just over $1 million.

The bill also includes $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, which will help states and local governments leverage an additional $9.8 billion in public and private investment in order to produce and preserve approximately 32,000 affordable housing units, as well as to provide rental assistance to an additional 10,000 low-income households in fiscal year 2020.  Additionally, this investment will result in the creation and preservation of nearly 24,000 jobs.  Last year, Rhode Island received about $6 million in federal HOME funds to build on their progress of adding 158 new affordable housing units in the state’s inventory, preserving 727 homes through refinancing and substantial rehabilitation work in fiscal year 2018.

To address lead-based paint and other environmental hazards in the home, the bill includes $290 million for grants awarded by the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes, $11 million more than fiscal year 2019.  This includes $181 million for traditional lead hazard reduction grants, no less than $100 million of which is reserved for those communities with the highest lead-based paint abatement needs, such as Rhode Island.  The bill also includes $64 million for the High Impact Neighborhoods demonstration program, building on the $45 million provided in fiscal year 2019.  In FY 2017, Providence was awarded $3.4 million in Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration grant funds and $400,000 in Healthy Homes funding.  As a result, Providence will produce 230 lead safe units and provide healthy homes interventions in 140 units.  Reed also included a $40 million set-aside for lead-based paint hazard remediation in public housing and expands funding to other environmental hazards such as mold, an increase of $15 million from fiscal year 2019, of which no less than $25 million shall be for lead-related activities.  In fiscal years 2017 and 2019, Senator Reed included a combined $50 million for lead-related activities in public housing, of which the Pawtucket Housing Authority received $1 million, Woonsocket Housing Authority received $1 million, and Providence Housing Authority received $974,000.

To continue its investment in NeighborWorks America programs nationwide, the bill includes $152 million.  In Rhode Island, grants from this funding have been used by network organizations such as Blackstone River Valley, ONE Neighborhood Builders, and West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation to provide housing and counseling services to more than 1,360 families and individuals, assist nearly 150 new homeowners with their purchase, and create or maintain over 200 jobs.

Now that the 2020 THUD Appropriations bill has been approved by the full committee, it advances to consideration by the full U.S. Senate, and must then be reconciled with companion legislation making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives.