Trump Administration Proposes 2-Year Cap on Section 8 Vouchers and Public Housing Assistance
A proposal from the Trump administration to restrict rental assistance after two years—regardless of whether recipients can still afford to pay their rent—poses a significant threat to over 3 million people, more than half of whom are children. Most of these individuals live in households where someone works but still struggles to cover housing costs. Everyone deserves access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Boosting rental assistance programs helps us achieve this goal, while setting arbitrary time limits that cut aid from those still in need would hinder progress.
This proposal is part of the administration’s 2026 budget plan, which seeks to merge five key housing programs—Housing Choice Vouchers, Public Housing, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 for seniors, and Section 811 for individuals with disabilities—into a single block grant to states. However, this plan includes significant funding reductions. While Congress has not shown signs of approving this block grant approach this year, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is reportedly planning to propose regulations that would allow or require housing agencies and property owners to impose time limits on assistance and to stop aid for those unable to meet strict work requirements. Such actions are likely to face legal challenges, as HUD appears to lack the authority to implement these measures without congressional approval.
Furthermore, House Republicans are pushing other policies that could jeopardize access to housing support. These include proposals to grant HUD the power to enforce or mandate assistance reductions once arbitrary time limits are reached, potentially leaving many struggling households without help.
On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee approved a 2026 funding bill for HUD that cuts public housing funding and does not increase voucher allocations to match rising rent costs. These cuts could leave hundreds of thousands of families without vouchers and may force significant reductions in public housing maintenance and safety, risking the health and safety of residents.
The bill also grants HUD broad authority to let local agencies raise rent payments for voucher and public housing residents—without any limit on how much families might be required to pay. This could lead to steep rent hikes and the termination of assistance after two years, especially if rising rent costs make housing unaffordable.
