Press Releases

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) reported that his Appropriations Committee approved two more of its twelve Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills: the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and the Interior/Environment funding measures.  

The FY 2027 T-HUD funding bill proposes a total $92.2 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a reduction of 8% from current Fiscal Year 2026.  

The Interior/Environment bill proposes a total $39 billion for the U.S. Department of the Interior, including the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Forest Service, and various independent agencies including the National Endowments on Arts and the Humanities, a further reduction of 2% off a steep reduction in FY26.

“In both cases, I could not accept the overall result which is to walk away from key federal programs to assist with top priorities for our country and Hawai’i in affordable housing, transportation,  environmental protection and historical and cultural preservation,” said Case. He cited the following examples from the T-HUD measure, which significantly cut or eliminated key programs including:

·         The HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the only federal program dedicated to developing affordable housing.

·         The Housing Counseling Assistance Program, which helps families obtain, sustain and retain their homes.

·         The Continuum of Care Program, which supports local service providers in community-based approaches to rehouse individuals and families and build pathways towards greater self-sufficiency.

·         National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

·         The Asian Pacific American Center, which documents and shares the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders to the nation’s history. 

·         The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which help to finance local water infrastructure projects.

“However, I did succeed in incorporating many of my requests that are directed at Hawai’i-specific needs, starting with Native Hawaiian-focused housing programs”, said Case. Specifically:

T-HUD

The bill provides $15 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and $28 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund. The funding represents a significant victory for Native Hawaiian housing programs, which have faced heightened scrutiny and proposed cuts this year, including the President’s proposal to eliminate both programs entirely. By rejecting those cuts, the bill preserves critical federal investments that expand housing opportunities and support Native Hawaiian communities across Hawaiʻi.

The bill also included Case’s request to continue funding for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety of the helicopter and small aircraft industry through accident investigation, analysis and recommendations to prevent future incidents, including several fatal accidents throughout Hawai‘i. The $175 million provided to the NTSB will help make Hawai‘i safer in response to the many aviation tragedies and accidents endured by the state in recent years.

The bill further includes the following funding requested by Case for programs to improve access to affordable housing in Hawai‘i and nationwide: 

·         $5 million for core housing research partnerships with Native Hawaiian serving institutions among other minority serving institutions.

·         $38.8 billion for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program, Section 8.

·         $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant formula program, which support state and local government efforts to increase access to affordable housing, community assistance services and jobs.

·         $290 million for Emergency Solutions Grants, which support emergency shelters, rapid rehousing programs and homeless prevention.

Other transportation and infrastructure programs requested and secured by Case include: 

·         $372 million for the Maritime Security Program.

·         $123 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program.

·         $105 million for assistance to small shipyards like Kalaeloa/Barbers Point.

·         $21.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including $1 million to assess the capabilities of using transponder landing systems in space and weather constrained airports such as those in Hawai‘i.  

Finally, through his assignment on the Committee, Case also secured two Member-designated Community Project Funding projects that specifically focus on local needs in Hawai‘i: 

·         $1.8 million for the City and County’s Chinatown Affordable Housing Project. These funds would help to preserve much-needed housing by upgrading mechanical systems, making roof and waterproofing improvements and installing accessibility enhancements.

·         $250,000 for the Hawai‘i State Department of Education’s Safer Hawai‘i Schools Pilot Program. These funds would enhance the security infrastructure for Ruth Keli‘ikōlani Middle School by helping to build a new security camera system.

The House’s Community Project Funding rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.  

Interior/Environment  

The bill includes the following requests by Case: 

·         $5 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State of the Birds Activities to respond to the urgent needs of critically endangered birds that now face possible extinction. These funds are helping to save numerous endemic birds in Hawai‘i that have been devastated by climate change and avian malaria.

·         $4.6 million for Japanese Confinement Site Grants and funding for the Amache National Historic Site, which was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to detain Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their communities on the West Coast.  

·         $80 million for State Fire Assistance, which provides financial and technical support directly to states to enhance firefighting capacity, support community-based hazard mitigation and expand outreach and education to homeowners and communities concerning fire prevention. 

·         $65 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based out of the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. These centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai‘i in response to our changing climate.  

·         $62 million for State Historic Preservation Offices which help preserve Hawaii’s treasured historic properties.

·         $29 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Research Units Program, which includes the Hawai‘i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit.

These two measures are the 8^th and 9^th of the twelve bills taken up by the House Appropriations Committee to collectively fund the federal government for FY 2027 (commencing October 1, 2026).  Both bills now move on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration. 

A summary of the THUD Appropriations bill is available here.

A summary of the Interior Appropriations bill is available here.

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