Representatives Goldman, Tonko, and Kennedy Lead New York Delegation in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Staff Purges at HUD Field Offices in New York and Nationwide

 

 

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10), Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Congressman Timothy Kennedy (NY-26) today led 11 of their 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 have already left HUD field offices short staffed and vulnerable. The additional impending mass layoffs at HUD field offices are a direct result of the latest OMB memo from Russell Vought, which mandates that all federal agencies create “reduction in force” plans as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. 

 

“Any attempt to unilaterally eliminate or significantly reduce the workforce of a HUD field office will make it far more difficult for the most vulnerable Americans to access vital public resources, make the process far less efficient, and ultimately prevent many from getting the benefits they are entitled to. In fact, we have been informed that our constituents seeking help in person at local field offices will likely be turned away because reduced staff cannot adequately serve all those who need it. We have also received reports that there remains just one Field Policy and Management employee left at the New York City office, which serves nearly a million HUD beneficiaries,” the Members wrote.  

 

Federally subsidized affordable housing is vital to the well-being and stability of nearly 1 million residents across New York State. As the cost of living and rent burdens continue to rise while affordable housing options shrink, many New Yorkers are at risk of homelessness. Currently, just five regional offices serve both New York and New Jersey, three of which are in New York, and are already overwhelmed as New York City and Newark are home to two of the largest public housing authorities in the country. Further reductions in the already understaffed regional field offices would have severe and far-reaching consequences for residents in both states, making it harder for residents and public housing authorities to access the services they are owed. 

 

Secretary 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 OMB. The mass purge of regional HUD employees will have devastating consequences for nearly 1 million New Yorkers who depend on HUD programs for essential housing support. 

 

“Not only is this reduction a betrayal of the hundreds of nonpartisan and experienced federal employees who work diligently at these offices, it is a shocking abandonment of the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and even more Americans, who rely on the services these field offices provide to ensure their families have a roof over their head,” the Members continued. 

 

 

Dear Secretary Turner, 

 

We write to you today, as members of the New York Delegation, to strongly urge you to reverse your decision to drastically reduce staffing at HUD field offices and immediately rehire or replace those apolitical career civil servants who have been unduly terminated in New York and across the country. Not only is this reduction a betrayal of the hundreds of nonpartisan and experienced federal employees who work diligently at these offices, it is a shocking abandonment of the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and even more Americans, who rely on the services these field offices provide to ensure their families have a roof over their head. 

 

As you know, in late February, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell T. Vought, sent a memo to all federal agency leads asking them to submit a Reduction in Force (RIF) plan by March 13th, 20252. On February 26th, 2025, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) issued a message to all of their National Council Members, citing an official memo they received from you indicating that the agency plans to target federal field office employees to comply with President Trump’s RIF directive. This decision, paired with the Administration’s prior “fork in the road” scheme and their potentially illegal dismissal of all probationary federal employees, is as blunt and misguided as it is dangerous. Any attempt to unilaterally eliminate or significantly reduce the workforce of a HUD field office will make it far more difficult for the most vulnerable Americans to access vital public resources, make the process far less efficient, and ultimately prevent many from getting the benefits they are entitled to. In fact, we have been informed that our constituents seeking help in person at local field offices will likely be turned away because reduced staff cannot adequately serve all those who need it. We have also received reports that there remains just one Field Policy and Management employee left at the New York City office, which serves nearly a million HUD beneficiaries. 

 

The three regional offices in New York work to serve constituents across Region II, which includes both New York and New Jersey. These offices are particularly busy as both New York City and Newark are home to two of the largest public housing authorities in the country. In fact, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) provides affordable housing for as many as 800,000 New Yorkers through Section 9, Section 8 and Permanent Affordability Commitment Together (PACT) programs. In order to ensure that operations across the region are running efficiently, fairly, and safely, HUD field offices facilitate the regular flow of information from the federal government to state and local agencies and governments and vice versa. Without this vital coordination, residents and landlords will not receive the services owed to them. 

 

As Congressional representatives, our staff is in constant communication with our Region II field offices, asking for and receiving answers to questions about critical program status such as Section 8 waitlists, HUD building inspection results, landlord regulation compliance, and more. These offices are the Executive Branch’s most direct touchpoint with public housing authorities and their residents, providing invaluable transparency into federal housing assistance programs. It is also the role of HUD field offices to ensure that buildings are complying with federal law such as the Fair Housing Act. For example, if a resident is having an issue with discrimination by a landlord, they would report the incident to their local HUD field office for assistance, the office would investigate on the ground and Field Policy and Management staff would work with the resident to come to a solution. As you know, for many Americans, these concerns are existential, and they rely on open and accessible communication with HUD field offices to ensure their families are safe and protected. This irresponsible attempt to handicap HUD’s field offices will necessarily undermine HUD’s stated mission “...to meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination...” 

 

This is a matter of public health and safety for our nation’s most vulnerable residents. For the safety of our constituents and in support of the hundreds of federal employees that diligently serve the public in the New York HUD field offices, we urge you to reverse your decision to significantly cut personnel at these locations and reinstate anyone who has been removed since your Administration assumed control. 

 

Thank you for your consideration.