Congress Extends Government Funding Through Early March
With funding for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and about 20% of the rest of the government set to expire at midnight on Friday, the House and Senate today approved a short-term spending bill that will keep HUD and a few other government agencies funded through March 1 and about 80% of the rest of the government funded through March 8.
Of note to the housing community, funding for the National Flood Insurance Program will be extended through March 8.
House and Senate leaders have decided on a topline budget for fiscal year 2024 — $1.59 trillion in discretionary spending. The hard work is deciding how to allocate this total figure among the 12 individual spending bills that provide the full-year budget for the federal government.
The continuing resolution to maintain overall spending at fiscal 2023 levels until early March is intended to buy time for lawmakers to pass a set of annual spending bills that will fund the government through fiscal 2024, which ends on Sept. 30, 2024.
As the entire appropriations process moves forward with HUD and other relevant agencies, NAHB will continue to monitor developments closely and weigh in as appropriate.
Latest from NAHBNow
According to the latest NAHB/Well Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) survey results, interior finishes (drywall, interior doors, painting, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, flooring, etc.) take an average of 6.4 weeks to complete, longer than any other major stage of single-family construction.
Nicolas “Nick” P. Retsinas, a leader in local and national housing policy and advocacy, passed away last week at the age of 79.
Latest Economic News
Consumer credit growth accelerated in the third quarter of 2026, with both revolving and nonrevolving credit increasing at their fastest quarterly rates since 2022. Total outstanding consumer credit reached $5.22 trillion, continuing an upward trend that has strengthened over the past year.
Inflation remained elevated in October even as energy prices eased, raising expectations of another Fed rate hike. Shelter returned as the largest driver of headline inflation, accounting for over 30% of the monthly increase. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy components, rose by 0.3% for the third consecutive month, suggesting broad-based price pressures across the economy.
Wage growth for residential building workers showed signs of a modest rebound in September 2026 following a sharp slowdown earlier in the year. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nominal wage growth picked up from its June pace, although it remained relatively modest.