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.
Today, 250 households in Santa Barbara County are housed thanks to emergency housing vouchers. Of those, 114 are within the City of Santa Barbara. Without renewed funding from Congress, these individuals and families will face eviction and homelessness by the end of 2026, years earlier than originally committed by HUD. The consequences will be visible on our streets and reflected in our homeless census.
These cuts aren’t just abstract numbers. They mean children losing stable homes, seniors being forced into shelters, and working families living out of their cars. They mean higher costs for local health systems, emergency services, and schools.
Adding to this crisis, the administration’s proposal seeks to eliminate the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and replace it with an untested state-run block grant system, shifting oversight and operations to states that do not have the capacity or infrastructure to manage such programs. Here in Santa Barbara, that change would end rental assistance for more than 900 households who currently use vouchers to rent from private landlords.
The administration’s proposal to block grant the funding also includes a two-year time limit for assistance and work requirements for non-disabled, non-elderly recipients. This fails to recognize that most of these individuals are already working. The issue isn’t effort – it’s a housing market that’s out of reach.
Rather than punishing low-income households with arbitrary time limits, Congress should expand HUD’s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program, which helps participants gain education, skills, and savings to achieve economic independence and ultimately lower program costs. Ironically, this same budget eliminates funding for FSS.
We need action, not abandonment. I urge our local congressional representatives and community leaders to advocate for the following:
- Fully fund all Emergency Housing Vouchers through FY2030 and integrate them into the permanent HUD voucher program.
- Reject the 43 percent cut to federal rental assistance programs.
- Preserve the existing HUD-administered Housing Choice Voucher Program.
- Oppose arbitrary time limits and work mandates in the appropriations process.
- Restore and increase funding for Family Self-Sufficiency and supportive programs.
The stability of hundreds of Santa Barbara families depends on these decisions. We cannot allow our federal government to balance its budget on the backs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Santa Barbara has long been a compassionate, innovative community when it comes to housing. But no city can do it alone. We need strong federal partners who will protect proven programs and invest in housing solutions that work. The time to act is now.
Rob Fredericks is executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.
