FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Proposed federal budget cuts could force thousands of Fresno families out of their homes, destabilizing the city's economy and the livelihood of the community as a whole, according to a new report by Fresno Housing.
The public agency says 30,000 residents, or 11,000 households, depend on housing vouchers (formerly Section 8). If President Trump's Administration enacts the cuts, they say half would face the immediate possibility of losing their homes.
Not only would these mass displacements put pressure on schools, shelters, and public systems, but Fresno Housing says they would also impact 1,300 landlords, removing over $72 million in annual rental income from the local economy.
The cuts also target HOME, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and other housing support programs, which Fresno Housing says would not only halt the construction of new affordable housing developments but also prevent the preservation of existing units.
In addition to the proposed cuts, Fresno Housing says the new proposal would also put a two-year limit on housing assistance. They say the change would set families up to fail, as the average time for minimum wage earners to reach self-sufficiency is five to 10 years, not two.
Despite pushback from organizations like Fresno Housing, the Trump Administration says budget cuts like these are necessary to reduce "wasteful spending."
"For decades, the biggest complaint about the Federal Budget was wasteful spending and bloated bureaucracy," said Russ Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. "At this critical moment, we need a historic Budget -- one that ends the funding of our decline, puts Americans first, and delivers unprecedented support to our military and homeland security. The President's Budget does all of that."