Washington, D.C. –  Today, Congressman Ralph Norman (SC-05) introduced legislation today to prohibit the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to make grants for housing.

Congressman Norman has released the following statement:

"The NEA was established with the goal to give Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. However, in the past the NEA has chosen to go beyond its mission and infringe on the responsibilities of other agencies. The NEA has repeatedly used its funding to offer grants, many of which are duplicative to grants offered by Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

“In 2016, the NEA gave a $35,000 grant to develop public housing options for artists. Additionally, in 2017, the NEA spent a total of $755,000 towards funding artist housing, including housing at a summer camp for artists and scientists.

“Housing issues are clearly within the responsibility of HUD, and this bill serves as a reminder to the NEA to refocus their efforts on the arts, instead of focusing on issues beyond the responsibility of the agency.” 

###