Republicans Pass Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Funding Bill, Making Cost of Living Crisis Worse

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today advanced their fiscal year 2027 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill out of the full committee. While Americans struggle with the high cost of living, the bill makes it more expensive for Americans to keep a roof over their heads, commute to work and school, and have a chance at homeownership.

For 2027, the funding bill provides $92.2 billion, including $434 million to support maritime defense readiness programs at the Department of Transportation. After accounting for housing revenues, $100.9 billion is provided for federal transportation and housing programs, a cut of nearly $8.8 billion, or 8 percent, from 2026.

The legislation:

• Does nothing to address the rising cost of living by slashing investments in programs that expand affordable housing production and help communities fund locally driven solutions to cut red tape and eliminating eviction prevention grants that help families stay in their homes.
• Strips away opportunities for families to become homeowners or access safe, decent, affordable housing by slashing housing counseling assistance and cutting the fair housing enforcement work that protects housing choice for all Americans.
• Increases congestion on roads and hurts our economy by stalling supply chain networks, walking away from critical public-private investments that advance our transportation systems, keep our construction workers on the job, and grow American manufacturer and supplier businesses.

“The American people are concerned about the cost of living. Whether it’s rising rents, a shrinking job market, or increasing costs at the gas pump. By cutting Housing Counseling assistance in half, this bill limits opportunities for families to acquire and build wealth, and achieve the dream of homeownership,” Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member James E. Clyburn (D-SC-06) said. “As if Americans are not already struggling to access a home they can afford, the bill walks away from enforcement of longstanding civil rights laws that protect housing choice for most Americans, by cutting support for local organizations at the frontlines of Fair Housing enforcement by 64 percent. Although this bill rejects many of the harmful policy riders that would weaken transportation safety it does not come without trade-offs. But instead of taking serious and intentional steps to lessen burdens for American households, this bill would leave mayors and governors to foot the bill for what we know is a national cost of living crisis. Unfortunately, this bill includes unrealistic budget gimmicks that will only cost us more in the long run. My hope is that we can put politics aside and do that which is necessary to make America’s greatness accessible and affordable for all – unfortunately, this bill fails to meet that goal.”

Clyburn’s opening remarks can be viewed here.

“This bill fails to bring down the high costs that are confronting American families each and every day. By gutting funding for programs that help the working class, middle class and vulnerable Americans, this bill makes the cost of living crisis even worse.” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “By slashing funding for Public Housing by $1.3 billion, this bill will cause cuts to rent and utility payments for some 2,700 housing agencies across the country and put hundreds of thousands of low-income households at risk of eviction. It eliminates funding that addresses lead-based paint hazards in nearly 700,000 low-income housing units which have been deemed at risk of lead exposure. It slashes Homeless Assistance Grant funding by $256 million, rolling back aid for the more than 745,000 people experiencing homelessness, and preventing tens of thousands of people from moving off the street into stable homes. Throughout the country families are struggling to stay afloat as the cost of living keeps climbing and climbing. Instead of extending a lifeline, this bill cuts off support.”

DeLauro’s opening remarks can be viewed here.

During the full committee markup of the bill, Democrats offered many improvements to Republicans’ bill, including amendments to:

• Increase funding  programs that support housing construction and help families achieve the American dream of homeownership.
• Restore funding for the PRO Housing program that makes housing more affordable.
• Restore grant funding for ferries that support coastal and riverside communities.
• Prohibit the suspension of international flights as a partisan political tactic.

A summary of House Republicans’ 2027 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies funding bill is here. A fact sheet is here. The text of the bill prior to the adoption of amendments is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.

The full committee markup can be viewed on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

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