Federal Budget & Appropriations

The Federal Budget and Appropriations Process

The federal budget and appropriations process is the method by which the federal government funds programs such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance program and Community Development Block Grants. The process consists of the presentation of the President’s budget proposal, and passage of Congressional budget resolutions and appropriations bills.

The President’s Budget Request

The President by law is required to submit a budget request to Congress each year by the first Monday in February, which includes spending and revenue plans for federal agencies for the next fiscal year.

Congressional Budget Resolutions

Once the President has released his or her budget request, the House and Senate each go to work to create non-binding budget resolutions that will guide the rest of the process.

Appropriations

Once a budget resolution is adopted, the appropriations committees begin their work of appropriating funds to authorized federal programs.

FY 2013 Budget

• President’s FY 2013 Budget
• Enterprise FY 2013 Housing and Community Development Budget Chart
• Enterprise FY 2013 Housing and Community Development Budget Summary (updated April 2012)
• Policy Points: Federal Budget Analysis (by Enterprise Senior Policy Director Peter Lawrence in the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits)
  • Housing, Community Development Fare Better than Expected in FY 2013 Budget Request, March 2012
  • Outlook for Housing and Community Development in the 2012 Presidential Election Year, January 2012
• Appropriations Letters
  • Senate "Dear Colleague" Letter on FY 2013 HOME Investment Partnerships Program Funding
  • House "Dear Colleague" Letter on FY 2013 HOME Investment Partnerships Program Funding
  • Senate "Dear Colleague" Letter on FY 2013 Section 4 Capacity Building Program Funding
  • Senate "Dear Colleague" Letter on FY 2013 Project Based Section 8 Rental Assistance Funding
  • National Sign-On Letter on FY 2013 302(b) allocations for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development

FY 2012 Budget

• President’s FY 2012 Budget
• Enterprise FY 2012 Housing and Community Development Budget Chart
• Enterprise FY 2012 Housing and Community Development Budget Summary (updated November 2011)
• Policy Points: Federal Budget Analysis (by Enterprise Senior Policy Director Peter Lawrence in the Novogradac Journal of Tax Credits)
  • Reflecting on a Tough Year for Housing Budgets; Outlook for 2012, December 2011
  • Federal Budget Cuts to Housing Land with a THUD, October 2011
  • The Federal Budget Battles Begin – What the Age of Austerity Means for Affordable Housing, March 2011

FY 2011 Budget

• Summary of Housing and Community Development Appropriations in the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution
• FY 2011 Housing and Community Development Budget Chart

Previous Budget Information

• FY 2010 Housing and Community Development Budget Chart
• Highlights of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
• FY 2009 HUD Budget Chart

Additional Resources

• Brookings Institution
• Center for Community Change (CCC)
  • Congressional Budget Process: A Timeline & Opportunity for Action
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP)
  • Policy Basics: Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
  • Policy Basics: Congress’s “Pay-As-You-Go” Budget Rule
• Congressional Research Service (CRS)
  • Introduction to the Federal Budget Process
  • The Congressional Budget Process: A Brief Overview
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)
  • Federal Budget and Appropriations Processes and Timeline