GSA repair backlog swells as Congress diverts building funds

Edward C. Forst told senators in May 2026 that Congress had diverted $15.6 billion from the Federal Buildings Fund since 2011, about $22 billion in today’s dollars, and that the fund had been tapped for roughly $1 billion a year for non-GSA programs. Those choices helped drive a 408% explosion in GSA’s repair backlog and left nearly half of the agency’s inventory in fair or poor condition.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office put deferred maintenance and repair backlogs for Department of Defense and federal civilian buildings at about $171 billion in fiscal year 2017 and $370 billion in fiscal year 2024. GAO added federal building condition to its High-Risk List in 2025, citing poor conditions across many buildings and a worsening outlook. The federal government spent more than $10.3 billion on annual operating and maintenance costs for its 277,000 buildings in fiscal year 2023.

In March 2025, GSA put its deferred maintenance backlog at more than $17 billion and made addressing it a top priority. Congress created the Federal Buildings Fund as a dedicated revenue stream for federal real estate, yet spending limits require GSA to use available funds for other needs first, leaving less room for repairs, renovations and disposal of unneeded buildings.

By March 2026, the Buildings Fund supported about 8,100 buildings, including roughly 1,500 GSA-owned properties and about 6,600 GSA-leased properties. GAO found four federal agencies and the judiciary accounted for most of the revenue that fed the fund in fiscal year 2025.

GSA launched a Space Match program in March 2025 to help agencies use underused federal office space, while the Public Buildings Service underwent a major reorganization in 2025. Tenant agencies told GAO that workforce reductions had already affected customer service. GAO still had open recommendations to improve how it reports its repair and maintenance backlog.