WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Members of Congress delivered a letter to Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner Monday, requesting information after agency jobs and funding were slashed by the Trump administration.
The letter questioned staff terminations, funding cancelations, stopping work orders and more. One hundred twenty-two House Democrats signed on.
It comes as the letter writers criticize actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency, which they believe will exacerbate the homelessness crisis across the country.
“As our nation faces one of the worst housing and homelessness crises in history, HUD’s role in addressing this crisis is more critical now than ever,” the letter said in part. “Plans to terminate HUD staff across the country, freeze HUD funding which makes up less than 1% of all federal spending, as well as the decision to ‘[go] after’ the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule and halt fair housing enforcement efforts under the Equal Access Rule, are cause for deep concern about the future of fair and affordable housing in this great nation.”
Congress members and fired federal workers rallied outside the HUD office after delivering the letter.
One former federal worker named Elizabeth said she was terminated from HUD by email.
“It just said you’re terminated effectively immediately, it didn’t give a reason, and it was honestly just really frustrating considering how much time and energy we put into our jobs,” she said.
She’s now concerned about the many people the agency assists.
“It’s hard not to be in the office and help the people that we know still need help,” she said.
Meanwhile, last week, Secretary Turner defended the actions of the Trump administration.
“In order to serve Americans well, we have to get our fiscal house in order. HUD’s fiscal house was bulldozed by Biden. We’re rebuilding HUD’s foundation with stable, fiscal responsibility and regulatory reform,” Turner said in a post on X.
