Washington, DC – Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-21), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, released the following statement after helping pass the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) out of the Appropriations Committee. The bill makes critical investments to make housing more affordable, equitable, and resilient. The bill will be brought to the House floor for a vote in the coming weeks before waiting for Senate action.

“People in Palm Beach County, like in many places around the country, are facing rising costs that are making it hard to pay their rent or afford a home,” said Rep. Frankel. “The 2023 funding bill makes investments in affordable housing that will help renters and new homeowners keep roofs over their heads.”

The bill provides $20.9 billion in new transportation and housing infrastructure investments, including:

• $31 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers (a $3.7 billion increase), to help low-income families, seniors, and those with disabilities rent safe housing in the private market,
• Including $1.1 billion for more than 140,000 new vouchers targeted to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness,
• $8.73 billion for a Public Housing Fund (a $282 million increase), to build and modernize more public housing sites,
• $50 million for a new down payment assistance program to help first-time, first-generation home buyers purchase a home,
• $600 million for Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (a $150 million increase), to serve the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS,
• $3.3 billion for Community Development Block Grants, which provide grants to states, cities, and counties to develop affordable and safe urban communities and expand economic opportunities for low-to-moderate-income individuals,
• $1.7 billion for HOME Investment Partnerships Program (a $175 increase), which provides grants to states and cities to partner with local nonprofits and fund building, buying, and rehabilitating affordable housing,
• $3.6 billion for Homeless Assistance Grants to create over 18,000 new housing options for people at risk or experiencing homelessness,
• Including $75 million to support survivors of domestic violence and $107 million to support youth experiencing homelessness,
• $321.9 million in additional infrastructure funding for housing for Florida.

For a full summary of the bill, click here.

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