Warren, Murray, Gillibrand, Smith, and Schumer Demand Trump & Musk Halt Cuts to HUD Workforce, Warn that Cuts Could Jeopardize Seniors, Homeless Veterans, and HUD’s Capacity to Address the Nation’s Housing Crisis
“We are deeply alarmed and troubled by reports that you terminated hundreds of probationary employees on Friday and are planning to cut the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) workforce by 50 percent or nearly 4,300 staff.”
“[A]t the start of your tenure as Secretary, HUD’s staffing capacity was near its 2012 levels with a dedicated workforce ready to advance HUD’s mission. So much of that hard-fought progress has been wiped away in less than three weeks…”
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, led a letter — alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Ranking Member of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development; and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — demanding that U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner halt any further staff cuts at the agency, noting that additional staffing reductions would further exacerbate the housing crisis and would likely prevent HUD from being able to meet critical functions like supporting disaster recovery efforts.
In the letter, the senators warn that major staffing cuts will decimate HUD’s ability to deliver basic services and jeopardize critical programs that serve vulnerable populations, such as seniors and homeless veterans.
“Initial reports suggest no program office would be spared, with staffing cuts ranging from 10 percent to 84 percent. Some of the most drastic reductions impact areas that support highly vulnerable people, including seniors, homeless veterans and families, and people with disabilities, and provide billions of dollars to cities and counties across the country,” wrote the senators. “Without sufficient staff to run these programs, community and economic development projects, disaster recovery efforts, and housing development across the country will be delayed and could come to a grinding halt.”
The Senators went on to note that building existing staffing levels at HUD took years of excruciating and incremental progress in order to meet basic and critical functions of the agency. HUD had only recently rebuilt its workforce after experiencing over a 20% drop between 2012 and 2019. The lawmakers argued that further cuts would not only jeopardize disaster recovery efforts but could also hinder compliance with legal obligations, resulting in delays to housing development.
“President Trump’s reckless threats of blanket tariffs on friendly nations could drive up housing costs, deter new development, and slow rebuilding efforts in disaster-impacted communities. Freezing already obligated funds, cancelling necessary program contracts, and hastily gutting HUD’s workforce will inevitably lead to costly delays, and many housing projects will fall apart completely, only making our current housing crisis worse. We urge you to immediately stop any additional cuts to HUD’s workforce,” emphasized the Senators in their letter to Turner.
The Senators also sought answers from Secretary Turner on HUD’s existing capacity, its justification for recent terminations, whether any plans were put in place to ensure continuity of critical services HUD provides following seemingly indiscriminate mass layoffs, and more.
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