Antonio Gaines, president of the AFGE National Council 222, an organization comprised of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Locals throughout the U.S., told Bloomberg Law that HUD plans to discharge 50% of its workforce.

A 50% reduction of HUD staff, which numbers around 9,600 employees, even if imposed differently for different program offices, would stop the agency from administering congressionally approved funding for programs, most all of which serve older adults in some way. If true, such a staff depletion would effectuate impoundment, defined as when the executive branch does not spend funds as directed by congress.

The story, published on February 13, comes just days after President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to “significantly reduce the size of government” and to “undertake plans for large-scale reductions in force and determine which agency components (or agencies themselves) may be eliminated or combined because their functions aren’t required by law.”

The report adds to concerns, stemming from the administration’s funding pause, as to whether the actual flow of $137 million will occur to the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly and Service Coordinator grant awardees announced on January 15 and the fate of funds for HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Awardees. The GRRP program was authorized by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but a different executive order directed agencies to immediately pause any non-committed funds.

Read more on issues related to President Trump’s executive orders in our EO Compliance Federal Funding Freeze serial post.