Senate Recognizes Need for Full 12-Month Funding of PRAC Contracts

The Senate Transportation and HUD (THUD) Appropriations Committee recently provided sufficient funding for all HUD Section 8 contracts for 12 months, appropriating $536 million more than the FY2012 budget, totaling over $1.1 billion over HUD's FY'13 request. The House THUD Appropriations Subcommittee's spending cap, however, is $1 billion less than the Senate, and continued advocacy is a necessity. 

A Section 8 advocacy campaign led by LeadingAge and others ultimately convinced the Senate that short-funding Section 8 contracts saved the government no money, was misguided and would have stalled private investment in Section 8 properties. In the words of the Subcommittee, led by Senators Murray (D-WA) and Collins (R-ME): "...the policy of short-funding contracts devised to keep the program within budget jeopardized the Department's credibility, created unnecessary administrative inefficiencies and reduced investor confidence."