More than 1 million families nationwide are at risk of losing the very thing that makes stability possible: a safe affordable place to call home. Here in the City of Santa Barbara, more than 900 households could lose their rental assistance under the Trump Administration’s proposed FY2026 federal budget. That’s nearly 1,000 neighbors – including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and low-wage workers – who may be forced to choose between rent and survival.
As the executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, I have seen firsthand how federal housing programs directly lift people out of poverty and into stability. The proposed 43 percent cut to rental assistance programs at HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) would be catastrophic for our city and our region.
One of the most concerning threats is the planned elimination of funding for the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program. Launched through the American Rescue Plan in 2021, these emergency vouchers have been a lifeline for people experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness, including victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.