Why Housing for All Matters: A unified call for federal support

By: Amy Peltier, Coalition and Advocacy Director

Across the country, people are sounding the alarm: housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable and harder to find. Nearly half of all renters in America are now spending more than a third of their income just to keep a roof over their heads[i]. It’s no surprise—rents are rising faster than wages, leaving many families struggling to keep up.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has long been at the forefront of the fight for housing justice that includes safe, affordable housing for everyone—especially for those with the lowest incomes. Their work focuses on ensuring that all people, regardless of background or income, can access homes in the communities they choose.

In late March, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. with my colleague Danielle Hubley, our Advocacy and Education Manager, to attend the NLIHC’s annual Policy Forum. We joined over 100 housing advocates from around the country to share strategies, learn from each other, and strengthen our efforts to improve housing policies nationwide. We heard from experts on how to use data to advocate for better housing outcomes, how storytelling can influence policy, and how faith communities are stepping up to support their neighbors. We also had honest conversations about how recent political decisions—particularly proposed federal funding cuts—could have a profound negative impact on people who rely on housing assistance, including older adults, people with disabilities, and those with the lowest incomes. In DC, the frustration and concern about these policy changes was palpable.

One thing was clear: many federal housing programs are at a crossroads. Some recent proposals have called for deep funding cuts and major restructuring. While some of those proposals have been delayed or challenged in court, the uncertainty alone threatens the stability of vital programs. That’s especially concerning states like Connecticut. Right now, Connecticut receives and relies on over $1.3 billion each year in federal support for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Even at this level, funding falls far short of meeting demand. For example, only 1 in 4 eligible households receive the rental assistance they qualify for—simply because the funding isn’t there[ii]. That’s why continued federal investment isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

Starting early in the new presidential administration, significant shifts in federal housing policy began to take shape. Executive orders, memos, and public messaging introduced proposals to freeze or reduce funding, cancel unspent allocations, and restructure programs deemed inconsistent with the administration’s priorities. These changes introduced uncertainty and concern across the housing sector. To shift course, we will need local, state, and federal leaders to step up and drive change and champion advocacy on all fronts.

A Budget and Legislation That Undermines Housing Stability

In March, President Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) that extends federal funding at FY2024 levels through September. While the CR includes modest increases for HUD tenant-based rental assistance and accessible housing for older adults and people with disabilities, it fails to meet the scale of need. The CR allows funding “anomalies” that will likely lead to shortfalls in homeless assistance, cuts to Community Development Block Grants, and weakened disaster recovery resources. Critically, it makes no significant investment in Native housing, disaster relief or urgently needed public housing repairs.

On April 10, Congress narrowly passed a joint budget resolution that slashes $1.5 trillion from key assistance programs. While it lacks specifics, if President Trump’s claim to protect Medicare holds true, these cuts will almost certainly fall on Medicaid and SNAP—two of the most effective tools in promoting housing stability and preventing poverty. These programs not only provide basic necessities like food and medical care; they also enable families to stretch limited incomes to cover rent, utility bills, and other essentials that keep them stably housed.

On May 2, the Trump Administration released its fiscal year 2026 “skinny budget,” proposing a staggering $33.6 billion cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The plan would consolidate critical programs—like Section 8 rental assistance, public housing, and housing for seniors and people with disabilities—into a single block grant, while eliminating nearly $27 billion in funding. This restructuring would dramatically reduce the number of assisted households and undermine efforts to address the national housing and homelessness crisis.

Also in May, House Republicans approved Trump’s legislative “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”. The package will presumably undergo further amendments when it goes to the Senate. Currently the bill makes individual income and estate tax cuts, originally proposed in Trump’s first term, permanent. It will also exclude tips and overtime from taxes, but only until 2028. Standard deductions will be boosted for seniors (also only until 2028) as well as both individual, joint tax filers and the child tax credit will get a temporary boost. Student loan programs will be revamped, limiting options for repayment and forgiveness plans, and there are significant proposed tax increases to university endowments. Experts estimate these tax provisions, which will benefit only the super wealthy, will reduce federal revenue by over $4 trillion in just the next ten years alone.[iii]

At the same time, the Act includes increased funding for the administration’s immigration and deportation agenda and provides nearly $150 billion new dollars in defense spending and national security efforts.

In housing, there is a proposed increase to the number of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) that can be issued to state housing agencies through 2029. Bond financing requirements will be modified to allow additional buildings to qualify for housing credits and there are increased credit opportunities for building in difficult development areas, including native lands.[iv] Additionally, the bill proposes extending the Qualified Opportunity Zone program with a narrower definition of low-income communities, a requirement that at least 33% be rural, simplified investment incentives, but new reporting requirements.[v]

To balance the lost federal tax income, clean energy tax credits will be repealed and the largest cuts in history are planned for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program[vi] (SNAP). This legislation sets the stage for a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that could reshape federal investment in housing, health, and family stability for years to come.

New Requirements for Critical Assistance Programs[CR1] [AP2]

House Republicans have proposed reducing SNAP by over $265 billion over the next 10 years. SNAP often helps put food on the table and Medicaid assists families in receiving needed medical care as well as provides critical supportive services in counseling to ensure those on the verge of homelessness remain housed.

The massive, proposed reduction in Medicaid spending is a central tenet of the Bill and where the administration aims to make up the bulk of its savings. New “community engagement requirements” for able-bodied adults with no dependents will mandate at least 80 hours of work, education or service a month, and eligibility will now be twice a year instead of once. The bill also projects Medicaid funds will no longer be used for home-based care services that keep vulnerable populations from being institutionalized, as states will not have the capacity to make up what federal cuts take away[vii]. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 8.6 million people will lose their health care due to these mandates over the next decade. This includes at least 120,000 CT residents.[viii]

What’s at Stake in Connecticut

Now is not the time to scale back support. It’s time to double down on effective solutions that protect vulnerable families and create opportunities for all. Based on these recent projections and policy frameworks like Project 2025 that are shaping the administration’s priorities, Connecticut is at risk of losing $1.15 billion (FY23) in federal rental assistance. 161,500 Connecticut residents living in 84,000 households are served by this investment, in five main buckets of assistance, including:

Housing Choice Vouchers: $676 million and assisting 39,500 households
- Public Housing: $137 million and assisting 11,700 households
- Project-Based Section 8: $315 million and assisting 22,000 households
- Supportive Housing (Sections 811 for persons with disabilities & Section 202 for elderly): $17 million and assisting 2,100 households
- USDA Rural Rental Assistance: $4M, 1,900 households

Beyond just HUD budget cuts, the administration’s proposals will restrict access to critical programs through both legislative and administrative actions. New regulations include: increasing incentives to fine, arrest, or otherwise punish people simply for experiencing unsheltered homelessness, restricting housing access to exclude certain populations—such as mixed-status immigrant families and LGBTQ individuals, imposing time limits and new work requirements to receive assistance, and mandating treatment or sobriety to qualify for housing.

At the top of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) federal policy agenda—and a key priority for advocates nationwide, including us at the Partnership—is protecting funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Ensuring that HUD has the staff and resources to fulfill its mission is critical, especially in the face of potential funding cuts and structural changes being considered under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The proposed deep cuts and restructuring of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) threaten to drastically weaken the agency’s already strained capacity. These changes would impair HUD’s ability to provide technical assistance, issue timely funding notices and recertification guidance, and maintain its field offices nationwide. Alarmingly, HUD Secretary Scott Turner has announced plans to eliminate 50% of HUD’s 9,600-person workforce[ix].

These layoffs would disproportionately affect staff responsible for enforcing civil rights laws, collecting vital housing market data, and supporting disaster recovery efforts. Field offices slated for closure include those in Seattle (which serves three states), San Francisco, and even the Office of Public and Indian Housing, which provides rental assistance to 3.5 million households. In Connecticut, Senator Richard Blumenthal has raised concerns about the potential closure of the Hartford HUD office[x]—while unconfirmed, its Field Office Director, Suzanne Piacentini, has already departed, leaving the office leaderless.

[CR3] [CR4] Fair Housing is under threat: Racial Equity Must Remain Central to Housing Policy

Stripping racial bias analysis from housing policy doesn’t erase systemic racism—it ignores history and entrenches inequity. Current federal policy priorities not only dismiss well-established facts, but they also send a clear message of disregard to the communities long harmed by housing discrimination and segregation. Ignoring race in housing doesn’t make disparities disappear; it deepens them. Structural barriers that hold back entire communities drag down broader economic growth. You cannot build a thriving, inclusive economy on a foundation that leaves people behind.

At the Partnership and among housing advocates across Connecticut, we recognize the disproportionate housing instability faced by communities of color—from cost burdens and eviction rates to disparities in access to protections like the Right to Counsel. One effective policy solution is housing vouchers. Research by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that expanding vouchers to all eligible households could significantly reduce poverty: by one-third for Latino households, one-quarter for Black households, and one-fifth for Asian, Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaska Native households[xi]. These outcomes track closely with the persistent racial wealth and income gaps: according to the 2023 American Community Survey, the median income for Black households is $53,927—nearly $30,000 less than the $83,121 median for White households[xii].

To better understand how these disparities play out locally, we encourage reviewing the Urban Institute’s recent report, “The Upside—Growth, Potential, and the Future of Fairfield County, Connecticut,”[xiii] or the summary by our Senior Policy Analyst, Alysha Gardener.

Let us be clear: fair housing is in jeopardy under this administration. While the 2025 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule technically remains in place—requiring federal agencies to go beyond nondiscrimination and actively promote fair housing—its implementation is being quietly dismantled.

Fair housing discrimination complaints are at record-high numbers[xiv]. According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, most complaints are related to disability, followed by race. Yet HUD has responded with a weakened 2025 AFFH Interim Final Rule (IFR), stripping away the very tools states and localities need to meet fair housing goals. The IFR lacks accountability measures, removes structured planning requirements, and allows self-certification—effectively letting jurisdictions avoid meaningful action. It fails to address discriminatory tenant screening technologies, does nothing to challenge exclusionary zoning, and curtails Congressional oversight.

In a troubling move, HUD Secretary Scott Turner has amended the AFFH rule to remove references to dismantling segregation, transforming areas of concentrated poverty, or expanding access to opportunity. Instead, his stated aim to “save” and “restore” the suburbs signals a rollback of decades of fair housing progress[xv].

What Congress Must Do

We must act now: dismantling HUD’s capacity, gutting field offices, and targeting DEI efforts under the guise of reform will undermine affordable housing initiatives across the country. Congress, state leaders, and advocates must speak out and oppose these dangerous proposals. The cost of inaction will be felt mostly by our most vulnerable communities. We urge Congress to reject these reckless budget cuts and policy proposals and instead:

1. Fully Fund HUD Programs

Maintain and expand Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), renewing all existing contracts and adding support for 20,000 additional households. Over 2.3 million people rely on HCVs today.
Appropriate $6.2 billion for public housing operations and $5.1 billion for capital repairs.
Fund HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) at $4.7 billion and the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP) at $100 million.
Preserve HUD staffing and infrastructure to ensure effective program delivery.

2. Pass Pro-Housing Legislation

The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act: A bipartisan bill that would provide 250,000 new vouchers over five years for low-income families with young children, coupled with counseling to support moves to high-opportunity neighborhoods. This would improve health, education, and economic outcomes while reducing long-term public costs.
The Choice in Affordable Housing Act: Incentivizes landlord participation in the HCV program through bonuses and support services, expanding the availability of affordable rental housing.
The YES In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act: Addresses discriminatory zoning and regulatory barriers that restrict new housing development. YIMBY promotes transparency and encourages localities to build more affordable homes. With an estimated national housing shortage of 3–5 million homes—and over 92,500 affordable units needed in CT alone—this bill is a necessary step toward closing the gap.

3. Expand Housing Capital Programs

Strengthen programs like HOME, Community Development Block Grants, the Housing Trust Fund, and the Capital Magnet Fund. These initiatives fund disaster recovery, new construction, rehabilitation, and infrastructure—while leveraging private capital and empowering local communities to address housing challenges.
In 2018, states most commonly used HTF dollars to support people experiencing homelessness, seniors, and people with disabilities—underscoring the critical role these programs play.

Connecticut’s Leadership Matters

Connecticut advocates have already advanced solutions at the state level—supporting bills to prevent discriminatory pricing algorithms, strengthen tenant rights, protect residents in mobile home communities, and incentivize investment through tax credits. While many of our advocacy efforts in Hartford are still pending, they complement national priorities and demonstrate that real progress can be possible through thoughtful, people-centered policymaking.

In the face of unprecedented threats to affordable housing, we cannot afford to be passive. Cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and HUD programs are not just line items—they are lifelines; they will affect our communities, our neighbors and our families right in Connecticut. Congress must prioritize people over politics and commit to funding policies that keep families housed, healthy, and hopeful.

We call on advocates, community leaders, and citizens to raise their voices: