HUD’s subsidized housing tenants are covered in December

HUD’s subsidized housing tenants are covered for December

By Lynda Carson - November 1, 2025

It’s day 32 of the government shutdown, and among all the horrific news happening all across the nation because of the convicted felon President Donald J. Trump, for the moment there is actually some good news for HUD’s low-income subsidized housing tenants that have been concerned that the government shutdown may have negative effects on their housing situation.

For more about the horrific situation in our country, see the latest Memo to members dated October 27, from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), by clicking here.

According to the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), and the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), they were contacted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and advised that HUD will make funding payments for the month of December regarding the Public Housing Operating Fund, and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program funding.

According to an announcement published October 31, 2025, on the website for the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities (CLPHA), in part it states, “We’re pleased to share positive updates from HUD regarding Public Housing Operating Fund and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program funding.

Public Housing Operating Fund:

“HUD has informed us that they will be able to obligate December Public Housing Operating Fund payments, contrary to earlier reports. PHAs can expect to see these funds available in eLOCCS by December 1.”

HCV Program:

 
“HUD has obligated Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) funding—including HAP and administrative fees for Housing Choice Vouchers a.k.a. Section 8 Housing Vouchers, Emergency Housing Vouchers, and Mainstream vouchers—for both November and December. Additionally, HUD has processed all projected November HCV shortfalls and is working to ensure December shortfall payments are processed in a timely manner, based on updated VMS data. HUD staff are being called back during the government shutdown to support this effort.”

Additionally, on October 31, 2025, according to an announcement on the website for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), in part it says; Public Housing: “(New) HUD staff has stated that they will be able to fund Operating Fund payments for the month of December.”

Before the government shutdown began 32 days ago, “on the website for the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA), they reported that if a government shutdown occurs, HUD staff has assured them that agencies (Public Housing Authorities) should have sufficient public housing and Housing Choice Voucher funding to continue operations through mid-November.

Beyond that there was much uncertainty for millions of HUD’s low-income subsidized housing tenants, that may have been very concerned of possible negative effects to their housing situation because of the government shutdown.

HUD’s Low-Income Subsidized Housing Tenants.

Reportedly, “More than 87,000 Section 8-subsidized units were funded by Bay Area housing agencies in 2024, including about 16,000 from the San Francisco Housing Authority, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD.”

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) in September 2024, about the Housing Choice Voucher program a.k.a Section 8 voucher program. “Individuals and families with low incomes use vouchers to help pay for privately owned housing. The program is federally funded and run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a network of about 2,200 state and local public housing agencies (PHAs). More than 5 million people in 2.3 million low-income families use vouchers.”

Project-Based Vouchers: Additionally, according to the CBPP in September 2024, “Project-based vouchers, part of the Housing Choice Voucher program, provide place-based subsidies to help more than 530,000 people in nearly 290,000 households afford modest housing in the private market.”

Public Housing: In September of 2024, according to the CBPP. “The nation's 807,000 public housing units are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories, with 1 in 5 of them in rural areas. As of 2020, only 55 percent of public housing homes were in low- or moderate-poverty areas, or where less than 30 percent of people had low incomes.”

HUD Layoffs During Government Shutdown:

Reportedly, “On October 28, 2025, a federal judge in California issued a preliminary injunction further halting government shutdown-related layoffs at all federal agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The ruling builds on an earlier restraining order and applies only to federal employees represented by the following unions: American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE); National Association of Government Employees (NAGE); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

HUD must continue to suspend all planned reductions in force (RIFs) affecting these union members, including the 442 RIF notices issued on October 10. Impacted offices include Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity with 114 staff, Public and Indian Housing with 103, Housing Operations and Counseling with 86, and Community Planning and Development with 30. Many of these employees remain furloughed due to the government shutdown.”

AFGE Press Release:

Additionally, according to an October 28, 2025 press release on the website of AFGE, in part it says, “A federal court has extended its order barring the Trump administration from firing federal workers because of the government shutdown as litigation filed by labor unions proceeds.

During a hearing Oct. 28 before Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, attorneys for the unions argued that the administration violated the law by threatening to fire federal workers furloughed because of the shutdown and ordering employees to work unpaid during the shutdown to carry out the mass terminations. The unions are represented by Altshuler Berzon LLP, Democracy Defenders Fund, and Democracy Forward.

Judge Illston granted the unions’ request for a preliminary injunction that will prevent the administration from issuing reductions-in-force or implementing those already filed during the shutdown. The injunction continues the temporary restraining order the judge previously issued.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) initially filed the lawsuit on Sept. 30. The lawsuit has since been expanded to include employees represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE).

Every Cabinet department and 24 independent agencies are included in the lawsuit. Programs, projects, or activities (PPAs) that include any bargaining unit or member represented by a plaintiff union within these agencies are covered by the lawsuit.

“President Trump is using the government shutdown as a pretense to illegally fire thousands of federal workers – specifically those employees carrying out programs and policies that the administration finds objectionable. We thank the court for keeping in place its order preventing the administration from firing workers due to the shutdown while we continue our litigation in court,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

“Today’s ruling is another victory for federal workers and our ongoing efforts to protect their jobs from an administration hellbent on illegally firing them,”said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Unlike the billionaires in this administration, public service workers dedicate themselves to serving their communities. These attempted mass firings would devastate both the workers and the people they serve. We will keep fighting to protect public service jobs against this administration’s unlawful efforts to eliminate them.”

“Firing federal workers during a government shutdown is as cruel as it is unlawful,” said SEIU Executive Vice President Heather Conroy. “This administration has made clear whose side it’s on, siding with billionaires over working people time and time again. Federal workers serve our communities in good times and bad, without a political agenda. We are proud to unite with other federal worker unions to fight for workers to be reinstated, compensated, and respected. Together we will hold this administration accountable for putting ideology ahead of workers and the communities they serve.”

Meanwhile, the poor and hungry SNAP food program recipients are hoping for the best at this point. Being day 32 of the government shutdown around 43 million hungry Americans are waiting to see if the convicted felon President Trump, and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins will comply with a judges order to release the monthly SNAP funds for November 2025.

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

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