A March 14 Executive Order (EO) from the White House says it “continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary” and directs the non-statutory components and functions of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund to be eliminated.

These agencies, both annually funded by Congress, and others identified in the EO have seven days to explain to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) any of their congressionally required functions. OMB, the EO says, will then review agencies’ submissions and reject any budget requests for functions not congressionally required.

The CDFI Fund, part of the Department of the Treasury, receives annual appropriations from Congress to support more than 1,400 local financial institutions and mission-driven organizations working in distressed communities through its various programs. CDFIs can serve many purposes, including providing loans to preserve and build affordable housing. “As co-chairs of the Community Development Finance Caucus, a group which has grown to 28 members, 14 Democrats and 14 Republicans, we are proud to reaffirm our bipartisan commitment to support the CDFI Fund’s mission,” Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) said in a March 16 statement.

The USICH was originally authorized by Congress through the landmark Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 to serve as an independent establishment in the executive branch and its functions are well-established in federal statute. “USICH’s role is to reduce bureaucracy to make federal efforts to end homelessness more coordinated, streamlined, and effective. USICH also helps local communities end homelessness by providing technical assistance, which is especially critical in rural areas where homelessness is worsening rapidly. It is in part thanks to the work of USICH that veteran homelessness reached the lowest levels ever recorded in 2024,” House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) said in a March 16 statement.

LeadingAge supports both agencies, which have unique roles to help distressed communities and prevent and end homelessness.