The President's FY22 Budget and NeighborWorks America
The President and his administration recognizes that our communities are in great need of housing that is affordable and the continuation of comprehensive community development. With President Biden recently releasing his FY22 budget, the statement of "show me your budget and I will know your priorities" gives us great insight on the priorities of this administration.
NNA members, NeighborWorks organizations across the country, utilize Federal appropriations designated and enacted by Congress to NeighborWorks America to meet the unique needs of their communities. This funding is flexible, can be first in to start a project or program or could be the needed funding to get projects and programs across the finish line. Our members leverage this funding source with many layers of resources, resulting in leveraging the FY20 appropriation of $157.5 million to over $9.3 billion of affordable housing and community development across our nation.
The President's recently released FY22 budget includes $170 million for NeighborWorks America, a $5 million increase to over the FY21 appropriation ($163 million in core, $2 million for shared equity).
NeighborWorks America's budget justification, details the importance of investment in housing infrastructure and pandemic recovery in communities across the country and describes how NeighborWorks America would leverage this funding through grants, technical assistance, training, and organizational assessments. Due to process, though the needs of our membership are great and justify additional, much needed funding the NeighborWorks justification administratively aligns with the President's proposed budget.
The NNA membership appreciates the President's support of the proposed $170 million funding level, seen as a great move in the right direction. Recently, members in the House and Senate signed Dear Colleague letters in support of an appropriation to NeighborWorks America of $185 million for FY22. This support equated to, 42 Senators (out of 100) and 138 bipartisan members of the House signing Dear Colleague letters in support of $185 million in FY22 appropriated funds for NeighborWorks America. Though a $15 million increase could be seen as small in the overall Federal Budget and perhaps generous in the line item, the additional funding would equate to almost $900 million of additional affordable housing and community development (using the FY20 achieved leverage of $59 for every $1 of NeighborWorks appropriated funding).
Given the strong support from Congress, the recognition from the President that additional funding is needed and the affordable housing needs of our communities, NNA will continue to advocate for $185 million of FY22 appropriated funding for NeighborWorks America during this budget cycle. We ask that our members, our partners, our friends and the communities we serve join us in reaching out to members of Congress during the budget process to support NeighborWorks America and many of the other much needed affordable housing programs in the continuing budget process.
For more resources and tools on the budget:
President’s FY22 Full Budget Language
President's Budget Overview/Summary
NeighborWorks FY22 Budget Justification (submitted to the level of the President’s budget)
NLIHC's FY22 Budget Chart for Selected HUD and USDA Programs