Join the Hands Off Housing Rally This Fri., March 21st at NYC Hall
(March 18, 2025) Join LeadingAge NY and a coalition of housing advocates and tenant leaders at NYC Hall on Fri., March 21st for a Hands Off Housing rally to demand that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) halt its attempts to gut the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and roll back critical housing protections – actions that will inevitably worsen the housing and homelessness crises for older adults and all New Yorkers.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner previously sent a letter to the American Federation of Government Employees advising them of his plan to target HUD field offices and field office staff in order to comply with the Reduction in Force directive from the Office of Management and Budget.
Last week, Representatives Goldman, Tonko, and Kennedy led the NY congressional delegation in demanding that the Trump administration reverse these purges, as it was reported that there remains just one Field Policy and Management employee left at the NYC office, which serves nearly 1 million HUD beneficiaries.
In addition, the number of probationary staff nationwide at HUD is reportedly smaller than at other agencies due to hiring freezes and slowdowns that occurred before recent terminations. More information on the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the federal workforce and their impact on aging services is available from LeadingAge National here.
On Fri., March 14th, facing a midnight deadline to continue to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep government programs funded through the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 (Sept. 30th). With some limited exceptions, the measure funds annually appropriated programs at FY 2024 levels through FY 2025. The CR, which passed the House on March 11th, includes exceptions for needed increases for HUD multifamily housing renewals but shorts funding for other HUD programs.
LeadingAge NY encourages NYC-area members and their residents to support the effort to protect vital HUD programs and staff by registering for the Hands Off Housing rally here, spreading the word within their networks and communities using this flyer, and meeting on the steps of NYC Hall at 10 a.m. on Fri., March 21st.
There is also still time to take action on the LeadingAge National action alert to urge policymakers to protect and preserve affordable housing for older adults. This alert focuses on three immediate threats: the need for a final FY 2025 HUD appropriations bill with adequate, uninterrupted funding; DOGE’s plan to cut HUD staff by 50 percent; and the delay of funding to new Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program awardees along with the planned revocation of multifamily housing preservation funds awarded through HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP).
When reaching out to congressional offices via the action alert, providers are strongly encouraged to share their story. Sharing information about your affordable housing community, including where it is, the residents you serve, and the services you connect residents to, is very important for senators and representatives to understand as they consider whether and how they will weigh in to impact the fate of these threats. All aging services stakeholders are encouraged to take action today, and to download, print, and distribute this flyer – now available in English and Spanish – to help residents who want to raise their voices to protect affordable housing.
Contact: Annalyse Komoroske Denio, akomoroskedenio@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866