Advocates should continue to contact their senators and representatives and educate them about why HUD resources are critical to low-income families and communities.
Urge Congress to Protect HUD Programs and Staff
Last month, after the White House directed HUD and all other federal departments and agencies to freeze all federal financial assistance, advocates and congressional champions launched into action and successfully pressured the Trump administration to rescind its directive.
While this victory shows the power of advocacy, we must remain vigilant and continue to closely monitor any future attempts by the Trump administration to withhold the critical resources needed to address our nation’s most pressing affordable housing and homelessness challenges.
Take Action
Do not wait for the next attempt by the Trump administration to undermine federal housing investments and programs! Tell your members of Congress why HUD resources are critical to low-income families and communities and urge them to protect HUD programs and staff.
Background
Thanks to swift and effective advocacy from across the nation, the Trump administration succumbed to enormous pressure to reverse the memorandum released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directing all federal departments and agencies, including HUD, to temporarily freeze all congressionally approved federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities.
Since that time, however, the Trump administration has taken extraordinary, unprecedented steps to dismantle or weaken several federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Education, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, and more.
HUD could be next.
If the Trump administration targets federal housing and homelessness investments again or lays off HUD staff, states and communities could be denied the federal resources needed to:
- Provide rental assistance to help low-income households afford their homes.
- Build and preserve affordable rental housing for low-income households.
- Operate and maintain public housing and other affordable housing for millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and families with young children.
- Address and prevent homelessness, which has reached its highest level on record.
- Revitalize neighborhoods, promote economic development, and improve community facilities, including infrastructure and services in low-income communities.
- Investigate and enforce fair housing and civil rights laws.
- Rebuild housing and infrastructure after major disasters and mitigate future harm.
- Ensure low-income households have access to heat in winter.
- Provide downpayment assistance to new homebuyers and help current homeowners make critical repairs.