Public Employee Press
Editorial
Trump’s wrecking ball on housing
The Trump administration appears to be on a path to starve public housing.
DC 37 activists took part in a demonstration on April 20 where irate residents and housing advocates demanded that the federal government stop the cuts. (See ‘Union fights Trump budget.’)
The public housing budget crisis is of great concern for the union. More than 1,000 members work for NYCHA, and 15,000 members are residents.
The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development faces $6 billion in cuts. This would have a devastating impact on NYCHA, crippling the agency financially and worsening the living conditions of its residents.
NYCHA’s operations budget of $600 million faces a 13 percent reduction. Its capital program will possibly lose $200 million – two-thirds of its federal funding.
The proposed federal budget eliminates staff positions, doubles residents’ wait for maintenance work and will delay the repair and replacement of boilers, bathrooms, kitchens and elevators.
A new federal policy would spell the end of permanent public housing by putting a 5-year time limit on residency. Today, the average resident stays 20.5 years in public housing.
This assault on public housing is part of an ideologically-driven right-wing scheme to eviscerate public services and dismantle the safety net.
Trump’s cuts would have a deep impact on New York City, whose expansive public sector and unionized workforce right-wing extremists would love to cripple.
A prime target is NYC Health+Hospitals, which may lose for billions of dollars in federal assistance, including funding for Medicaid, which covers the treatment of the poor and uninsured.
We believe our fightback must intensify to stop the Trump administration’s ruinous attack on the standard of living for working families – our families.
