The Trump administration's planned slashing of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) staff represents a direct threat to millions of people nationwide, and thousands in San Francisco's affordable housing ecosystem.
At Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP), we're witnessing daily how federal housing resources translate into stability for our city's most vulnerable residents.
These cuts won't just affect bureaucracy—they'll impact real families struggling to stay housed in America's most expensive housing market.
Let’s take a dive into HUD, and how the new administration is handling it.

Published March 10, 2025 by Bill Sorro Housing Program

What’s HUD?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a federal agency that serves as a cornerstone in the fight against homelessness and housing insecurity.

Nationally, HUD’s programs target the 770,000+ people experiencing homelessness on a single night – a number that has risen 18% from the previous year, driven by high rents and a lack of affordable housing (HUD AHAR Report).

Through programs including public housing, rental subsidies, and housing voucher programs, HUD currently helps over 4,000,000 Americans remain housed.

In San Francisco, HUD funding provided $56 million for homeless services in 2024, but the city still faces a shortfall of over 17,500 affordable homes, leaving marginalized communities disproportionately vulnerable (SF Standard; California Housing Partnership).

HUD also works with FEMA to support areas across the country with disaster response.

With Section 8 vouchers assisting 2.3 million households annually, HUD’s work is vital.
But, with cuts to housing looming, delays and disruptions could deepen the housing crisis nationwide.

The Unprecedented Scale of the Cuts

Internal HUD documents reveal that the administration plans to cut HUD’s overall staff of approximately 9,600 employees down by up to 50% through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by chairman of X, Elon Musk.

Most alarming is the purported major staff reduction targeted at the Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD)—the federal division responsible for administering over $3.6 billion in homeless services funding nationwide.

For San Francisco specifically, these cuts threaten support for over $115 million in active grants administered through the CPD office, including a vital $56 million grant announced in December 2024 to support our city's homeless services network. With local HUD offices reduced to skeletal crews, processing reimbursements and conducting mandatory site visits will become virtually impossible.

"We would not be able to administer the funds to the city of San Francisco or any of our other grantees," said a HUD employee with knowledge of the cuts to the San Francisco Standard. "There will be no one left to run the programs."

Real Consequences for San Francisco's Housing Ecosystem

These aren't abstract policy changes—they directly threaten the housing stability of thousands of San Franciscans:

1. Delayed Homelessness Funding and Service Disruptions

San Francisco’s homelessness crisis has worsened in recent years, with total homelessness increasing by 7% between 2022 and 2024, according to the city’s Point-in-Time Count. While there has been progress in shelter utilization, nearly 4,000 individuals remain unsheltered on any given night.

With less staffers available to manage over 100 grants across Northern California, funding delays are inevitable. Most federal homelessness grants operate on a reimbursement model, requiring regular processing by HUD staff. Without adequate personnel, service providers may face interruptions in funding critical programs like shelters and rental assistance.

In a city that has been facing budget shortfalls that already threaten its budget for homelessness support services, these cuts to HUD present an even more alarming situation.

2. Affordable Housing Access Barriers

HUD programs like HOME Investment Partnerships and Community Development Block Grants are essential for creating housing opportunities for Extremely Low-Income (ELI) households—those earning less than $53,950 annually for a family of four in San Francisco.

The California Housing Partnership reports that 52% of ELI households in San Francisco spend more than half their income on rent (compared to 3% for moderate-income homes), leaving them one financial emergency away from displacement or homelessness.

Without adequate HUD staffing to process grants and oversee compliance, critical funding delays could stall affordable housing projects, exacerbating the city’s housing crisis

3. Housing Discrimination & Fair Housing

According to a 2024 report from the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, over 80% of individuals experiencing homelessness in San Francisco identify as people of color, with Latino and African American communities disproportionately affected.

In a time in which the President has rescinded a decades-long mandate for language access to federal programs, cuts to HUD’s staff further threaten marginalized communities in San Francisco – especially non-native English speakers in need of accessible resources.

Why These Issues Matter Now

The planned cuts to HUD staffing represent a direct attack on the systems that provide stability for low-income families and communities of color.

The new administration has even begun to defund federally-funded non-profits who have filed Fair Housing discrimination claims against landlords – even as recent investigations have found widespread Section 8 discrimination across California in 2024.

With fewer resources available to process grants or enforce fair housing laws, landlords may feel emboldened to discriminate against tenants based on race or income status.

Our city’s 2024 Homelessness Dashboard highlights the need for culturally responsive services that meet the unique needs of residents disproportionately affected by homelessness.

With over 8,000 people without a home on a given night in San Francisco, cutting housing support will hurt those who need it most, and have a lasting impact on communities across our city and beyond.

Instant Backlash

The Trump administration's planned 50% reduction in HUD staffing has sparked widespread protests and opposition from federal workers, lawmakers, and housing advocates across the country. Recent developments highlight the mounting resistance:

Congressional Action and Protests

THE FIGHT FOR HOUSING

On March 3, 2025, Rep. Ayanna Pressley welcomed Claire Bergstresser, an unfairly fired HUD worker from Massachusetts, as her guest to Trump's Joint Address, in a symbolic gesture.
The following day, on March 4, federal workers and protesters gathered in front of HUD headquarters in Washington D.C. to urge an end to the massive purge of federal job cuts.
The rally drew support from passing motorists and included both current and recently fired HUD employees.
(Photo via 7news)

Legislative Pressure

A group of 122 House Democrats sent a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner on March 4, demanding answers about the staff layoffs, funding cancellations, and work freezes.
The letter, delivered by a united front, expressed that HUD's role is more critical than ever as the nation faces a severe housing and homelessness crisis.

Concerns from Housing Experts

Former HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan warned that indiscriminate cuts to personnel and funding "will only serve to destabilize our housing system and drive up costs for both renters and owners." Housing advocates fear that the cuts will exacerbate the ongoing affordable housing shortage and record-high homelessness rates.

As the backlash continues to grow, it remains to be seen how the administration will respond to the mounting pressure from multiple fronts opposing these drastic cuts to HUD.

As housing advocates inspired by our city’s legacy of community-centered activism, we cannot remain silent while these cuts threaten our neighbors.

Take Action

As cuts to crucial housing support services loom, you can join the Bill Sorro Housing Program and thousands of other Americans in taking action against HUD cuts and in support of housing support services.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

With federal support under threat, our city must step up. As thousands around the country are already publicly demonstrating their support for HUD, communities must step up and continue these demonstrations, while also messaging and communicating their needs to members of local governments.

Support Community-Led Housing Efforts

With federal funding threatened, community support becomes essential. Donations of time or money to non-profits supporting emergency rental assistance, multilingual housing counseling, and advocacy protect families from eviction.

The Trump administration’s HUD cuts are not just an attack on funding—they’re an attack on equity, stability, and justice for marginalized communities across San Francisco. Now more than ever, we must come together as a community to fight back against policies that threaten our neighbors’ right to safe and stable homes.

Don’t Falter

These cuts aren’t the first by this administration to have lasting effects on Americans, and it doesn’t appear to be the last.
It will take a strong, united movement to bring communities together in an effort to defend housing protections for people in our community, and around the country.

Join us as we push to protect our communities from these harmful cuts, and provide housing support services to ALL in need.

Together, we can ensure that everyone—regardless of race or income—has access to affordable housing in San Francisco & beyond.

[Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit in San Francisco, California. Our mission is to help vulnerable families find, secure, and defend affordable housing. Donate today to support our fight.]

Trump's Planned Housing Cuts: What You Need to Know