148 Mayors Urge Congress to Fund Housing Programs
A November 9 letter from the U.S. Conference of Mayors asks Congress to fully fund federal housing initiatives as a continuing resolution nears expiration.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in City Hall
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The U.S. Conference of Mayors sent a letter to Congress, signed by 148 mayors, calling for full funding of federal housing programs. The request follows Trump administration proposals to eliminate the HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grant programs.
Why it matters
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was authorized without a dedicated funding stream, and the letter argues that without appropriations its tools will exist on paper only. Local governments depend on these programs for housing development and aid.
The letter requests funding for eight programs under the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, and Congress's continuing resolution signed September 2 expires December 11. Whether another stopgap or full appropriations will be enacted before that date has not been determined.
The players
U.S. Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is a national organization representing cities with populations of 30,000 or more and advocating for urban policy at the federal level.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is the federal agency responsible for housing policy, mortgage programs and community development grants.
The details
The letter asks Congress to create guardrails ensuring appropriated funds reach communities as intended. Courts have repeatedly blocked Trump administration attempts to rewrite federal housing and homeless aid funding rules.
Timeline
September 2: Congress signed a continuing resolution in lieu of finalizing fiscal 2027 appropriations.
October: A GAO report found over $2 billion in disaster mitigation grants had not been distributed.
November 9: The U.S. Conference of Mayors letter, signed by 148 mayors, was dated.
December 11: The continuing resolution expires.
July 11, 2027: HUD's deadline to establish the act's four core grant programs.
Political Context
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which became law in July, authorized several competitive grant programs and pilots without a funding stream. The mayors' letter presses Congress to close that gap, while the Democratic Party's incoming control of the House and Senate is expected to keep housing affordability a priority.
Cities that depend on HOME and Community Development Block Grant money could see those funds shrink or disappear if Congress does not appropriate them. Residents of those communities would feel the effect through housing development and local aid programs.
The takeaway
Federal housing law is only as effective as the money Congress provides to carry it out. Authorization without appropriation leaves local governments waiting on programs that exist only on paper.
What happens next
The continuing resolution expires December 11, and HUD must establish the act's four core grant programs by July 11, 2027.
Further reading
For more on how local leaders are pressing federal lawmakers, see City Hall.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Smart Cities Dive.
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