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In the wake of severe cuts to staff and its field office footprint, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must reverse layoffs and planned closures of offices across New York state to avoid imperiling housing for 800,000 residents. This is according to a letter from members of New York’s congressional delegation to HUD Secretary Scott Turner on Monday.
The letter represents an effort led by Democratic Reps. Dan Goldman and Timothy Kennedy, and it includes 11 of their New York congressional colleagues as signatories. They demand for Turner 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,” according to the letter.
The delegation said that nearly 1 million people across New York and New Jersey rely on HUD assistance programs, and that reported cuts to the agency could introduce undue risk for many more Americans.
“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 letter stated.
Previous reporting by other outlets, including Bloomberg, have indicated plans to severely scale back the presence of HUD field offices nationwide. This includes the closure of 34 field offices. A union that represents HUD employees has said this would be in violation of a federal law mandating the department maintain at least one office in every state.
A HUD spokesperson told Bloomberg that “no decisions have been finalized, however the department is exploring consolidation while continuing to prioritize service.”
But the New York congressional delegation claims that their constituents will be severely impacted, and that services are already taking a notable hit.
“[W]e 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,” the letter stated. “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 lawmakers go on to describe the work of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), which serves an estimated 800,000 residents via affordable housing programs. Cutting HUD staff and field offices across the state would prevent landlords and residents from accessing services they need.
“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,” the lawmakers wrote.
“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.”
HousingWire reached out to HUD for comment on the letter. A department spokesperson said “HUD is in receipt of the letter [and] will provide a response as appropriate.”
