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Budget Cuts Series: $6 BILLION Cut from Housing Programs
In an effort to cut domestic spending by more than $50 billion, Trump's budget proposal would slash the budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The plan would squeeze public housing support and end most federally funded community development grants, which provide services such as meal assistance and cleaning up abandoned properties in low-income neighborhoods.
About $1.3 billion would be cut from the public housing capital fund, under the preliminary plan — when compared to funding in 2016 — and an additional $600 million would be cut from the public housing operating fund.
While a large portion of these cuts would impact public housing for low-income families, already an area that is woefully underfunded, most surprisingly the budget cuts 100% of federal dollars for Community Development Block Grants, a program with broad bipartisan support. Local housing and community development organizations across the nation rely on this funding for everything from low income housing to rec centers to neighborhood infrastructure.
Even more jarring, the president aims to slash funding for housing vouchers aimed at addressing the nation's homeless veterans problem in order to redirect the funds to the military. Significant cuts are also on the horizon for housing for the elderly, people with disabilities, and Native Americans.
Taken together, these cuts are likely to "increase the number of families and people that are homeless because housing is less affordable," according to Marc Morial of the National Urban League.
ACTION: Call your representatives and remind them of the importance of housing programs for our most vulnerable populations. At a local level, seek out community development corporations and other low-income housing advocates to offer your support in both time and donations.