On Monday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development approved its Fiscal Year 2022 bill by voice vote.
The bill includes an 11 percent increase, $8.7 billion, over the amount appropriated in 2021. The increase includes an additional $6.8 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and $1.9 billion more for the Department of Transportation. In total, the bill appropriates $162.6 billion in budgetary resources.
“Updating our nation’s aging infrastructure, including our housing stock, is central to our economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David E. Price (D-NC) said. “This year’s Transportation-Housing and Urban Development funding bill is centered on building a more equitable future. It promotes housing stability by providing increased funding for rental assistance, expanding housing vouchers, and prioritizing safety in public housing. The bill nearly doubles passenger and freight rail investment, solidifying our commitment to more sustainable travel while focusing on climate resilience and mitigation. The Fiscal Year 2022 Transportation-Housing Appropriations bill puts us on the right track to a better future, and I look forward to continuing to build on this progress.”
The committee said the bill would create tens of thousands of jobs by rebuilding American infrastructure; grow homeownership and rental assistance; support public housing safety, maintenance, and improvements; promote safe transportation and housing; and reduce emissions, increase resiliency, and address inequity.
Industry groups applauded the bill.
“The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), on behalf of the entire public transportation industry, urges immediate passage of the newly proposed … Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill for Federal Fiscal Year 2022,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said in a statement. “This legislation provides $15.5 billion for public transit and $4.1 billion for passenger and freight rail. If enacted, the public transit and passenger rail investments would be the highest annual funding levels in history. The bill’s historic investment in public transit and passenger rail infrastructure will put the nation on a path to increase access to opportunities for all Americans and build more equitable communities while also addressing the mobility, environmental, and sustainability challenges facing our communities, nation, and the world.”
The bill now heads to the full committee for markup.