Tracking the Funds: Specific Fiscal Year 2022 Provisions for Department of Housing and Urban Development
Fast Facts
As part of FY22 appropriations, Members of Congress could request to designate a certain amount of federal funding for specific projects in their communities.
While agencies often have discretion over how they award funds, Congress has directed them to distribute these funds to designated recipients. We're tracking the funds to help ensure transparency.
Department of Housing and Urban Development's FY22 appropriations included $1.5 billion for 1,014 of these projects.
We looked at when HUD plans to distribute the funds and how it plans to ensure they're spent properly.
We’re also tracking these funds across government and at 17 other agencies.
HUD: Where did the FY 2022 funding go?
Highlights
What GAO Found
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 appropriated approximately $1.5 billion to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for 1,014 projects at the request of Members of Congress. The act includes specific provisions that designate an amount of funds for a particular recipient to use for a specific project. These provisions are called "Congressionally Directed Spending" in the U.S. Senate and "Community Project Funding" in the House of Representatives.
GAO described, among other things, information about the intended uses for these funds, the recipients to whom they were designated, and when HUD expects recipients will have access to the funds:
The intended uses of these funds are to support a variety of efforts including preventing homelessness, expanding the supply of affordable housing, and improving local infrastructure. Examples of projects include upgrading community centers, recreation centers and health care facilities.
The designated recipients of these funds are tribal, state, and local governments and higher education and other nonprofit organizations. About 60 percent of the projects are receiving $1 million or less.
HUD expects to obligate funds by September 2025 and recipients will be able to draw funds through the end of September 2030.
Why GAO Did This Study
The joint explanatory statement accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 includes a provision for GAO to review agencies' implementation of Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending.
For more information, contact William B. Shear at (202) 512-8678 or shearw@gao.gov.