1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support full funding for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and public housing in the federal FY2026 appropriations process. Recent reports make clear that cuts to these programs will have devastating, real-world consequences. Neither the House nor Senate appropriations bill provides enough funding to maintain the current number of Housing Choice Vouchers. Because vouchers are tied to rental costs, flat funding is effectively a cut — forcing housing agencies to serve fewer people. The House bill alone could result in approximately 411,000 fewer people receiving a housing voucher, while the Senate bill could mean 243,000 fewer. These aren't abstractions. The people who depend on these programs are working families with children, elderly households on fixed incomes, and people with disabilities — our most vulnerable neighbors. Already, fewer than one in four people who are eligible for rental assistance actually receives it. Cuts would make a dire situation dramatically worse. The Administration's proposed rescission package has also undermined the bipartisan FY2025 funding agreement reached just months ago (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) , creating additional instability for housing agencies and the families they serve. The President's "skinny" budget proposed a 44% cut to HUD overall, including a 43% cut to rental assistance programs, an unprecedented reduction that would unravel decades of progress in keeping low-income Americans housed. We cannot meaningfully address homelessness while simultaneously cutting the programs that prevent it. Over 770,000 people in the U.S. were unhoused on a single night in the most recent national count — the highest level since reporting began. Cutting housing vouchers and public housing funding will only push more families into crisis and increase homelessness in our communities. I urge you to: - Fully fund all existing Housing Choice Voucher contracts, with inflation-adjusted increases sufficient to maintain current caseloads. - Oppose any rescissions or block-grant restructuring that would reduce the total resources available to low-income renters. - Support increased funding for public housing operations and capital needs. The federal government has a responsibility to its most vulnerable residents. Please use your voice and your vote to protect these critical programs. Thank you for your service and your attention to this urgent matter.