Federal Updates
Senate Appropriations Committee Releases & Approves THUD Spending Bill
Last Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved the FY26 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Act. The bill calls for HUD to be funded at $73.3 billion, an increase of around $3.3 billion from the flat funding provided in the FY25 continuing resolution, and significantly more than the $67.8 billion provided for HUD in the House’s FY26 spending bill. The Senate bill passed the full appropriations committee with a vote of 27-1, demonstrating strong bipartisan support in the Senate for increased HUD funding.
The Senate’s spending bill provides level or increased funding for most HUD programs, including Housing Counseling Assistance and the HOME Investment Partnership program. However, it fails to provide the additional funding needed to address the funding cliff for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program. Housing counseling assistance, HOME funds, and Emergency Housing Vouchers are all essential resources for stable housing and economic advancement in North Carolina. These funds prevent homelessness, scale housing development for our growing state, and support first-time homebuyers.
Neither the Senate nor the House’s spending plan include the Trump administration’s proposed 2-year time limit on receiving HUD assistance.
Appropriators will need to work to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate version of the spending bill before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1 or pass a continuing resolution to keep programs temporarily funded and avoid a partial government shutdown. Although both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, the spending bill needs 60 votes to pass in the Senate, which will require bipartisan support.
Key differences between the House & Senate THUD Spending Bills (See more comparisons in NLIHC’s detailed Budget Chart):
- The Senate bill provides $57.5 million (flat funding from FY25) for Housing Counseling Assistance and $1.25 billion (flat funding from FY25) for the HOME Program. The House bill does not fund either program.
- The Senate bill provides $86 million (flat funding from FY25) for Fair Housing Programs – a $57 million increase from the House bill.
- Other programs the Senate bill partially or fully funds, which the House bill zeroes out:
- $40 million for Choice Neighborhoods Initiative: A $35 million decrease from FY25
- $60 million for the PRO Housing Competition: A $40 million decrease from FY25
- $10 million for PRICE Competitive Grants: Level with FY25 funding
- $15 million for the Eviction Protection Grant Program: A $5 million decrease from FY25
- $2 million for USICH (US Interagency Council on Homelessness): A $2 million decrease from FY25
For a more detailed analysis, check out NLIHC’s blog post from yesterday.
Trump Administration Releases Harmful Executive Order on Homelessness
Last Thursday, July 24, President Trump signed a harmful executive order on homelessness. The executive order, titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” aims to make it easier for states and localities to criminalize individuals experiencing homelessness and to force them into involuntary treatment. As analysis from our colleagues at the National Low Income Housing Coalition explains, the Executive Order:
- Instructs federal departments to prioritize federal grants for states that implement harmful, ineffective, and costly policies to address homelessness, such as bans on encampments, increased use of law enforcement, and the forced institutionalization of people experiencing homelessness;
- Calls for HUD and the US Dept of Health & Human Services to withdraw their support for research-backed Housing First policies and instead mandates HUD to require that recipients of homelessness assistance participate in mental health or substance abuse treatment as a condition for receiving aid; and
- Ends funding for life-saving programs like harm-reduction.
State Updates
Yesterday, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper formally announced that he will run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. Former Democratic congressman Wiley Nickel has dropped out of the race and endorsed Cooper, who is expected to be the leading Democrat nominee.
Disaster Recovery
Bipartisan, Comprehensive FEMA Reform Bill Introduced in House | National Low Income Housing Coalition
NC wants a plan to keep domestic violence programs up and running during disasters | NC Newsline
Renew NC Accepting Applications in WNC
The NC Dept of Commerce’s Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program is still accepting applications. This centralized housing rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement program will prioritize low- to –moderate-income families with seniors aged 62 and older, children, and/or disabled household members impacted by Hurricane Helene in one of the eligible 29 counties.
Legislative Updates
NC General Assembly In Session
The House and Senate are both in session this morning and are scheduled to take a number of votes on veto overrides of various bills.
Upcoming Hurricane Recovery Meeting
The NC General Assembly Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery Committee will meet tomorrow morning at 9AM. You can stream the meeting here: https://www.ncleg.gov/LegislativeCalendarEvent/133931#videoHeader
Local Headlines
Progress ramps up on Rosman housing project | transylvaniatimes.com
ABCCM acquires Asheville hotel to expand housing for veterans | Mountain Xpress
Davidson commits $500K to 46 new affordable housing units in Oak Hill area | WCNC
Homelessness is on the rise. Here’s how Mecklenburg County and shelters are trying to stem the tide | Blue Ridge Public Radio
High Point mayor highlights $5 billion investment, housing challenges in State of the City | ABC45
New Hanover County backs away from commitment to affordable workforce housing | NC Newsline
Reports
50-State Property Tax Comparison Study | Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Webinars & Trainings
“Housing-Focused Street Outreach: Promoting Health and Safety for All” | National Alliance to End Homelessness, July 30, 3 p.m. Register here.
“Immigration & Disaster Recovery: Rights, Access, and Where We Go from Here” | National Low Income Housing Coalition, Protecting Immigrant Families, and Just Solutions Collective, August 12, 2 – 3 pm. Register here.
“Surviving The Next Three Years: A Roadmap For Housing Counselors” | National Community Reinvestment Coalition, August 14, 2 p.m. Register here.
Caring for Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness: For System Leaders | National Alliance to End Homelessness, Free Until August 22. Learn more here.
Affordable Housing Seminar: Tools, Strategies, and Case Studies for Local Government Leadership | UNC School of Government, October 16, 2025 in Chapel Hill. Course registration cost: $265
Events & Conferences
Tour CASA’s King’s Ridge Permanent Supportive Housing development in Raleigh | NC Women’s Affordable Housing Network, August 7, 8 – 10 a.m. Cost is $10 per person to support breakfast for residents. Register here.
Early bird registration for the 2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference is now open! Get our best rate by registering before close of business on August 29 at 5 pm and check out the agenda to see what we have in store for our attendees. Information about hotels, speakers, sponsors and more can all be found on our website. We look forward to seeing you on September 30–October 1 at the Raleigh Convention Center for the 2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference.
