WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration is expected to terminate roughly half of all employees at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), according to a statement from the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).
In late January, the Trump administration directed all federal agencies to withhold federal assistance investments, including HUD funds such as grants and rental subsidies. After 48 hours, the administration rescinded its directive.
President Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 11 implementing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) workforce optimization initiative. The executive order called for agency heads to “coordinate and consult with DOGE to shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions.”
HUD’s website states that it currently employs roughly 9,600 people.
NLIHC argued that terminating HUD staff will make it significantly more difficult to access federal resources used to provide rental assistance to low-income households; build and preserve affordable rental housing; operate and maintain public housing; reform restrictive zoning and land use regulations; revitalize neighborhoods and improve community facilities; rebuild housing and infrastructure after natural disasters; and more.
“President Trump’s directive will cause more people across the nation — in rural, urban and suburban communities alike — to struggle to afford high housing costs and be at risk of housing instability, eviction and homelessness,” stated NLIHC President Renee Willis. “At a time when housing costs are far out of reach for renters and when homelessness is at an all-time high, our communities cannot afford for the Trump administration to decimate the federal agency tasked with helping low-income households remain stably housed.”