As an affordable housing and community development advocate, I stand with the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in asking you to protect the programs in HUD from unilateral executive branch cuts. 

The programs at HUD have a positive impact on millions of Americans. For example, the following programs provide rental assistance to families nationally:

· The Housing Choice Voucher program serves 2.3 million families and over 5 million individuals.

· The Project-Based Rental Assistance program serves 1.3 million families and over 2 million individuals.

· The Public Housing program serves nearly 900,000 families and approximately 1.5 million individuals.

 In addition to providing housing to families, these programs have substantial additional benefits. For example, the Housing Choice Voucher program can, in certain instances, provide improvements to the physical and mental health of adults and can increase lifetime earnings for children.

 Many private landlords have relied on the word of the federal government to maintain payments. The Housing Choice Voucher program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024 and throughout its existence, housing agencies administering the voucher program are widely known for consistent, reliable payments to landlords. Landlords in these programs can vary in size and sophistication from smaller “mom-and-pop” landlords that are taking their first step in engaging in housing markets to larger corporations that have portfolios that span multiple states. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development should not interfere with the stability of these landlords by missing payments.

 The Department has also helped to lead initiatives that focus on upward mobility.  For example, the Family Self-Sufficiency program and the Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency program are extremely important in that they help Housing Choice Voucher program participants, Public Housing residents, and residents in the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance program obtain financial independence—reducing dependence on welfare assistance and rental subsidies.

 The Federal government, through HUD, cannot default on its obligations to housing agencies, landlords, and millions of Americans.

 Additionally, local governments in rural, suburban, and metropolitan areas rely on community revitalization and development funds to ensure economic growth and increased housing supply to serve the needs of their communities.

 The Community Development Block Grant assists over 1,200 local and state governments. It provides assistance for over 26 eligible activities including infrastructure, economic development, housing, and disaster recovery projects that have benefited nearly 55 million people. The program also celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024, being well recognized by grantees for its emphasis on local decision-making, flexible use of funds, and community participation.

 The HOME Investment Partnerships Program also provides critical assistance to states and localities for affordable housing activities that create new homes for rent and homeownership. In a time where the housing supply crisis has grown to a deficit of 3.8 million units needed to meet increasing demand, the HOME program is vital to address this challenge locally.

 Homeless Assistance Grants are also a major factor in combatting the rising rate of homelessness, which can be attributed to lack of supply, decreased affordability, and natural disasters.

 As your constituent, I ask that your office contact the administration and tell them that there should be no executive branch interference in federally appropriated funding for any HUD programs. Congress has the power of the purse and sole authority on distributing funding payments. These programs are vital to the communities they serve and help provide the shelter that people call home.

 Thank you