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Trump鈥檚 budget proposes eliminating several rent assistance programs for low-income Americans, including the 聽that make up the difference between market rent and the amount voucher holders pay, about 30% of their income.

Virginia landlords received more than $554 million through these vouchers in fiscal year 2024.

In addition, the president's budget request to Congress would eliminate a separate rent assistance program linked to financing for projects that set aside units for low-income individuals and families. This one sent nearly $309 million in rent supports for Virginians in fiscal year 2023.

Trump鈥檚 budget proposes paying states a block grant for rental assistance programs, but the national total here amounts to a nearly 40% cut from funding to these existing rental assistance programs, as indicated by a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis of data compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Virginia housing agencies that operate public housing communities, such as the housing authorities of Richmond, Petersburg, 色多多, Lynchburg and Charlottesville, would lose funding, too. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provided Virginia agencies $618.5 million in fiscal year 2023.

Scott Turner, Trump's secretary of Housing and Urban Development, praised the proposed spending plan: 鈥淧resident Trump鈥檚 bold budget proposes a reimagining of how the federal government addresses affordable housing and community development," he said in a statement. "It rightfully provides states and localities greater flexibility while thoughtfully consolidating, streamlining, and simplifying existing programs to serve the American people at the highest standard."

Rural Virginia would lose U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for loans and loan guarantees aimed at helping rural families buy, build or renovate homes. This amounted to $240 million in fiscal year 2024.

In addition, Trump wants to cut another agriculture department program, which provides rental assistance to rural Virginians. This program provided $49.9 million of rental help in fiscal year 2024.

"We are going to see many, many people lose their homes," said Isabel McLain, director of policy and advocacy at the alliance. The nonprofit runs advocacy, education and support programs for affordable housing groups across the state.

Other Trump cuts include programs to help the homeless. For Virginia, these amounted to $59 million in fiscal year 2024.

"There's the public face of homelessness and then there's the part you don't see ... fitting two or three families into two-bedroom apartments," said Tom Okuda Fitzpatrick, executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia. That usually means somebody is sleeping on a sofa.

"That safety net, three years ago was already so taxed that basically the couch is already full," he said. "We're going to see more kids sleeping in cars."

The president鈥檚 2026 budget would also cut Community Development Block Grants, which localities use for a variety of housing, economic development and infrastructure projects. Virginia received $58 million from this program in fiscal year 2024聽鈥� it funds a wide range of projects across the state, ranging from foodbank services for the Eastern Shore鈥檚 Accomack County to a Lee County sewer line in the farthest southwest corner of the state.

Trump's budget request would cut funding for grants that help finance construction or renovation of affordable housing. Virginia received nearly $25 million from this program in fiscal year 2024, as well as the Low-Income Tax credit program which has drawn hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of private funds for affordable housing. This program, which housing advocates say has been a key to Virginia鈥檚 efforts to deal with its affordable housing crisis, amounted to $25 million in fiscal year 2024.

Other cuts would hit funding for enforcement of fair housing laws and a trust fund for extremely low-income families.

鈥淢edicaid and SNAP (food stamps) and taxes have dominated the conversation,鈥� said Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-4th, after a briefing on the cuts from housing advocates this week.聽

鈥淚 think for a lot of my colleagues, just based on the conversations I鈥檝e had, that they鈥檙e just now starting to realize 鈥� 'OK, wait a minute, this is the same hit on the same people,'鈥� she said.