NAR urges Congress to block proposed cuts to HUD

The National Association of Realtors is urging Congress to adopt a White House budget proposal that would eliminate billions in federal housing programs, warning that the cuts would undermine homeownership and fair access to housing across the country.

NAR President Kevin Brown wrote to the Senate and House of Representatives committees on April 30calling on lawmakers to preserve funding for Housing Choice Vouchers, HOME Investment Partnerships, Community Development Block Grant and HUD’s fair housing and counseling programs.

“Federal housing programs are a critical part of the solution, and we must sustain and strengthen investments in them to help communities meet the full spectrum of their needs,” Brown wrote.

What the budget proposes

President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget request, submitted to Congress in April, proposes a $10.7 billion reduction in HUD funding, a 13 percent reduction from the 2026 enacted level, bringing the department’s total to $73.5 billion. according to White House budget documents.

The proposal would completely eliminate both CDBG and HOME. CDBG represented $3.3 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026; HOME amounted to $1.25 billion, according to the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders. The Pathways to Removal Obstacles to Housing program will also be eliminated.

The Fair Housing Activities bill faces a 70 percent budget cut. The proposal eliminates the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which funds nonprofit fair housing enforcement agencies, while retaining the Fair Housing Assistance Program, which funds state and local government enforcement agencies. This was reported by the National Fair Housing AllianceFHIP-funded agencies handle nearly three-quarters of the country’s housing discrimination complaints, and at least twelve states have no FHAP-funded agencies of their own.

Not all HUD programs are facing budget cuts. Unlike last year’s proposal, the government does not plan to restructure major rental subsidy programs into a general subsidy. The Housing Choice Voucher program is proposed for a modest increase, from $38.5 billion to $38.8 billion. according to Housing Financing.

Congress has been here before

Congress is not required to approve the White House’s budget request and recently signaled it would diverge on housing. In FY 2026, lawmakers did not follow last year’s proposed cuts to HUD and increased HUD’s overall funding. according to the National Coalition for Low Income Housing.

Many of the programs proposed for elimination in FY 2027 are the same programs that Congress restored months ago on a bipartisan basis. CDBG in particular has survived multiple attempts by the Trump administration to eliminate it.

A united impulse

NAR is not alone in its opposition. The Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding, a coalition of 70 housing advocacy organizations, has also urged Congress to do so to maintain full funding of federal housing programs, arguing that they promote resident stability.

What comes next

Turner’s appearance before the House Appropriations Committee on Monday opens Congress’ formal response to the FY 2027 request. The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee’s markup of the spending bill is expected on May 21, with a full committee markup on June 4. according to the NLIHC.

Fair housing compliance resources, down payment helplines for lower-income buyers, and assistance programs for first-time homebuyers all come from the funding that NAR is urging Congress to protect. The next six weeks could determine how much of it survives.

Email Jessi Healey