Rep. Dan Goldman Convenes Section 8 & 9 Townhall to Discuss Trump Administration’s Threats to Affordable Housing

 

 

New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) hosted a Section 8 & 9 townhall at Grand St. Settlement to discuss how the Trump administration’s policies are affecting Section 8 and 9 housing in New York and help inform tenants on how city and state housing agencies may be impacted. The Congressman was joined by representatives from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), New York City Housing Preservation and Development, and New York State Homes and Community Renewal. 

 

“Programs like Section 8 and 9 are a vital lifeline for over one million New York residents who are already struggling to make ends meet, and as the Trump administration slashes funding and fires critical staff, I was proud to bring local officials together and give tenants a platform to ask questions and get answers," Congressman Dan Goldman said. “With New York City set to remain in this administration’s cross-hairs, I will continue working at all levels of government to protect Section 8 and 9 tenants and ensure every single one has the safe, dignified, and affordable housing that they deserve.”  

 

Since taking office, the Trump Administration has proposed sweeping changes to federal housing programs like Section 8 and Section 9 that would devastate low-income households. While they have not yet succeeded in enacting the most extreme policies, they’ve already caused serious harm, most notably by gutting HUD’s workforce by 30%. The administration's budget proposals have called for drastic cuts to rental assistance, a two-year cap on support for able-bodied adults, and expanded work requirements that would jeopardize housing for thousands of working families, caregivers, and students. These changes, if implemented, would lead to mass evictions, overwhelming paperwork burdens, and a significant increase in homelessness—particularly in high-cost areas like New York City. Fortunately, Congress has so far rejected many of these proposals, but the threat remains real and ongoing. 

 

In March, Goldman led 13 of his New York Delegation colleagues in sending a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner demanding that he reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to drastically reduce staffing at regional HUD field offices. The Administration’s “fork in the road” scheme and their potentially illegal firing of probationary workers had already left HUD field offices short-staffed and vulnerable.