Trump administration policies likely to hamper local efforts to tackle homelessness
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Policy experts this week briefed Orange County officials on numerous actions taken in the first weeks of the Trump administration that may impact the support local groups tackling homelessness receive from the federal government as well as millions in funding targeting the issue.
The executive branch announced plans to freeze billions in funding in a Jan. 27 memo from the Office of Management and Budget. But the administration rescinded those instructions two days later after a federal appeals court sided with about two dozen states who sued to challenge them.
However, the release of much of that money remains subject to a review by the Office of Management and Budget, Ben Goldeen, federal advocacy director for Townsend Public Affairs, told members of the Orange County Commission to End Homelessness at their meeting in Santa Ana Wednesday. It includes about $34.5 million set aside to support the Orange County Continuum of Care, which manages the implementation of strategies to get people off of the street in 34 cities and unincorporated areas. It was part of a $3.6-billion Housing and Urban Development spending package.
HUD has not yet released those funds. The administration has given agencies a March 15 deadline to submit reviews of their spending, and it’s unclear what will happen after that point, Goldeen said.
“We are really in uncharted waters with the way the executive branch is going about making reforms to activities at federal agencies,” Goldeen said. “And with that unprecedented nature there is a lot of uncertainty.”
The spending review is one of several efforts by the executive branch ostensibly aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency, which are likely to have ramifications on local initiatives to end homelessness, scientific research and many other programs that rely on federal monies.
President Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20 implementing a hiring freeze across the federal government. It also instructed agencies to submit plans to reduce their work forces. Reports suggest that could result in the discharge of as much as 50% of HUD’s workforce, Goldeen said.
On Thursday the recently created U.S. Department of Government Efficiency published a website with a tracker claiming about $55 billion in savings due to the new administration’s cost-cutting initiatives. HUD was 10th on a list of agencies that have seen the most cuts, according to the online tool. Independent reports have questioned the accuracy of the department’s calculations.
“What we can infer from this is, I think we can all agree federal agencies often times are slow to respond to inquiries, to requests and to work on our issues,” Goldeen said. “We can expect increased delays in dealing with federal agencies including HUD, including other social services agencies throughout the federal government as they work to fill the staffing gap left by these layoffs.”
Another executive order focused on “restoring biological truth,” by targeting “gender ideology extremism” would effectively end what’s known as the Equal Access Rule. That’s a HUD policy instructing those building or operating homeless shelters, supportive housing and other facilities supported by federal funds to ensure those are accessible to people who ascribe to different gender identities.
One more Trump administration order that would affect resources for people living on the street in Orange County and across the country is aimed at removing undocumented immigrants from the U.S. It reverses a series of Biden-era policies that had prevented Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials from conducting raids at shelters and other facilities.
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