Cuts to Section 8 Housing Assistance Loom Amid HUD Uncertainty
The Housing Choice Voucher program, a rent lifeline for low-income families, faces a funding shortfall as layoffs target the federal housing agency.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergFor Americans who rely on so-called Section 8 housing choice vouchers, the first weeks of the second Trump administration have brought a whirlwind of uncertainty.
The 50-year-old Housing Choice Voucher program is the federal government’s largest form of assistance for low-income families. Administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, it provides rental assistance for some 2.3 million qualified households annually. The program is not an entitlement: Only about a quarter of the households who qualify can access the vouchers. Many spend significant time on waitlists, and the program has struggled to keep up with skyrocketing rents.