North Carolina affordable housing advocates sounded the alarm over the Trump administration鈥檚 proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and urged members of the public to take action.
On a call Monday with representatives from more than 200 housing-related organizations in 80 counties, Samuel Gunter, executive director of the , said the situation is more dire than any he has experienced in his nearly 10 years with the organization.
鈥淲e are in an existential crisis in affordable housing and community development. 鈥� We're looking at some scary numbers if the federal government pulls out of most or all of the affordable housing and community development investments that they make in North Carolina and across the country,鈥� Gunter said.
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He urged those on the call to contact Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and other members of the state鈥檚 congressional delegation to ensure that they are 鈥渉earing from us clearly and in numbers.鈥�
鈥淭he decision to hold up federal funds and eliminate federal staff will cost people their homes. Full stop,鈥� he said.
The offices of Budd and Tillis did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BPR.
A spokesperson for Tillis that the senator supports Trump鈥檚 efforts to "cut fraud and wasteful spending鈥� but that 鈥渨e also need to make sure there are no unintended cuts to vital positions, especially workers who are providing critical functions like helping Western North Carolina recover from the devastation of Helene.鈥�
The New York Times that the Trump administration plans to make sweeping cuts to HUD, including an 84% reduction in staffing at its Office of Community Planning and Development. The office administers a broad range of programs, including disaster-relief block grants and services for people experiencing homelessness.
North Carolina $1.6 billion in HUD block grants for Hurricane Helene recovery and is currently going through the long process of applying for the funding to be released.
A HUD spokesperson told the Times that disaster recovery efforts 鈥渨ill not be impacted鈥� but did not give further details. HUD did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BPR.
Prior to the news of the proposed HUD staffing cuts, funding for affordable housing and related programs was already plunged into limbo by the January release of an Office of Management and Budget memo seeking to freeze grants and loans across the federal government.
The memo was quickly rescinded amid court challenges, and a federal judge the freeze. But advocates said they remain worried that even funding that has already been allocated by Congress will be halted.
In a to the state鈥檚 congressional delegation, the North Carolina Housing Coalition described a potential pause on federal funding as 鈥渃atastrophic,鈥� particularly given the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene on the western part of the state.
鈥淲hile the attempted freeze is subject to a temporary restraining order as of January 31, there remains much uncertainty about whether or not already appropriated housing resources will flow to the communities and organizations making a difference across North Carolina,鈥� the Coalition said in the letter.
On Monday鈥檚 call, Gunter emphasized that 鈥渘one of this is a done deal鈥� and that members of Congress will play a key role.
鈥淭he time for as much pressure as possible is now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you have relationships, if you have trust built up with anyone who has any trust built up with your representatives, now is the time to deploy it. But we may be, a couple of weeks and months from now, talking about what this work looks like without a lot of these resources.鈥�
The issue is one of many that will likely come up during Rep. Chuck Edwards鈥檚 (R-N.C.) . An Edwards spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
