The
White
House
described
the
current
system
as
“dysfunctional”
and
said
that
states
should
be
allowed
to
“design
their
own

rental
assistance
programs
based
on
their
unique
needs
and
preferences.”

The
plan
would
also
cap
rental
aid
for
able-bodied
adults
at
two
years,
reallocating
any
remaining
funds
toward
elderly
and
disabled
recipients,
according
to
NPR.

Experts
warn
of
housing
crisis

Housing
advocates
say
the
proposed
cuts
could
cause
a
dramatic
increase
in

homelessness.

Kim
Johnson
of
the

National
Low
Income
Housing
Coalition
told
NPR
that
she
thinks
“homelessness
[could]
escalate
in
a
way
that
has
been
really
unprecedented,
and
unheard
of.”

Currently,
only
about
one
in
four
eligible
households
receives
rental
aid.

“Cutting
that
really
feels
like
cutting
into
bone,”
said
Ann
Oliva,
CEO
of
the

National
Alliance
to
End
Homelessness.

Oliva
also
raised
alarms
about
proposed
changes
to
homelessness
funding,
which
would
reduce
local
control
and
prioritize
short-term
shelters
over
permanent
housing.

“Homelessness
is
a
very
local
issue,”
she
said.
“It
happens
in
people’s
neighborhoods,
it
happens
on
city
blocks
and
in
city
streets.”

Shifting
burden
to
states

Under
the
proposal,
states
would
have
more
discretion
over
how
federal
housing
funds
are
used
—
but
less
money
to
work
with.

NPR
noted
that
similar
block
grant
programs,
such
as
welfare,
have
often
been
redirected
away
from
direct
aid.
States
could
theoretically
supplement
the
lost
federal
funding
with
their
own
resources,
but
advocates
are
skeptical.

Jessica
Kubicki
of

The
Housing
Collective
in
Connecticut
warned
of
ripple
effects.

She
pointed
to
increased
demand
for
emergency
rooms,
food
assistance
and
overcrowded
schools.

“They’re
not
sleeping
well.
They’re
not
doing
well
educationally.
They
don’t
have
food,”
Kubicki
said
of
children
most
in
need
of
assistance.

Federal
budget
proposes
more
cuts

The
newly
released

federal
budget
proposal
also
calls
for
eliminating
programs
that
support

affordable
housing
development,

fair
housing
enforcement
and
community
improvement
grants.

The
administration
argues
that
these
funds
have
been
misused,
citing
projects
like
“skate
parks
and
concert
plazas.”

In
the
meantime,

COVID-era
emergency
housing
vouchers
are
running
out
faster
than
expected
due
to
rising
rents.
HUD
has
warned
local
agencies
to
prepare
for
that
funding
to
end
as
early
as
next
year,
NPR
added.

The
Trump
administration
has
already
pushed
out
thousands
of
HUD
employees
and
canceled
contracts
that
support
low-income
housing
—
signaling
a

broader
pullback
from
federal
housing
support.

A
report
published
last
month
by
The
New
York
Times
also
pointed
to
the
administration’s
intent
to

drastically
cut
Section
8.

In
March,
a
bipartisan
group
of
lawmakers
from
the

House
of
Representatives
and
the

Senate
introduced
a
bill
that

seeks
to
expand
Section
8.

Citing
the
federal
budget
uncertainty,
the

Housing
Authority
of
the
City
of
Los
Angeles
announced
in
March
that
it
has

stopped
accepting
new
applications
for
Section
8
vouchers.