HUD has updated its contingency plan, a document every federal agency is expected to have detailing how it will and will not function during a government shutdown. Fiscal year 2024 begins on October 1, but members of Congress are miles apart on the content of a continuing resolution that would keep federal programs running absent full appropriations bills. Because of the current stalemate, there is much talk of at least a short shutdown.

Any length of shutdown is detrimental to HUD-assisted housing because it can delay approvals for funding and answers to programmatic questions and result in HUD operational disruptions that can take the department months to recover from.

The HUD Contingency Plan for Possible Lapse in Appropriations 2023 says that 339 of HUD’s 8,528 staff would continue working full time as “excepted” employees to perform activities that are essential to operate HUD during a lapse in appropriations. Another 1,116 HUD employees could be called in on an intermittent basis to work solely on excepted activities. HUD’s contingency plan also includes, starting on page 72, an FAQ for HUD stakeholders. FAQs specific to HUD’s Office of Housing begin on page 80.

LeadingAge will provide more resources to assist members during any temporary shutdown.