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Trump's Proposed Section 8 Cuts Could Impact 5,700 Long Island Households

After Joanne Gonzalez spent three years on a waitlist, the federal government awarded her a Section 8 housing voucher in 2009.

The domestic abuse survivor and her three children moved into a $1,700-a-month apartment in Long Beach. Gonzalez paid 30% of her household income, initially $500, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development paid the rest.

Gonzalez today is a homeowner, thanks to another government housing assistance program that covers nearly half of her mortgage payment, based on her household income. Gonzalez works as an accountant at a Nassau County cemetery.

"People maybe have the wrong idea about this program," Gonzalez, now 55, said of Section 8. "This is not welfare. This is a program that grows with your income."

[Section 8] is not welfare. This is a program that grows with your income. — Joanne Gonzalez, Oceanside Photo credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost

Gonzalez's is one of at least 5,700 households on Long Island that could be on the brink of homelessness if the federal government moves forward with a plan to slash federal rental assistance by $26 billion, a Newsday analysis of government data and interviews with experts shows.

President Donald Trump's proposal would curb housing vouchers for working-age, able-bodied adults like Gonzalez to no more than two years on the assistance.

The policy change would hit Long Island hard, according to the data analysis. Nearly all of the region's federally subsidized housing is through vouchers, a higher share relative to the rest of the state and accounting for more than 33,000 people.

Federal policy across different political administrations has shifted from funding traditional public housing complexes toward voucher-based housing.

"It's a shortsighted change that would have tremendous negative consequences on those who are utilizing the program," said Gwen O'Shea, president and CEO of Community Development Long Island. The nonprofit distributes vouchers in Nassau and Suffolk counties, giving more than 9,000 to help house 18,000 people in its last report year.

The federal program, O'Shea said, "is probably one of the most effective homeless prevention, housing stability initiatives that we've ever seen" and "critical for a region like Long Island that has a limited number of rental properties."

Proposal not in 'Big Beautiful Bill'

Voucher holders interviewed by Newsday said a cut in federal assistance could leave them forced to move in with family or even leave the state to try to avoid homelessness.

A one-person household on Long Island making less than $57,500 annually is considered by the federal government to be "very low" income and eligible for a Section 8 voucher. A minimum wage, $16.50-an-hour job in New York would yield a person working full time $34,320 a year.

Earnings below $34,650 would classify the household "extremely low" income.

Voucher recipients generally pay 30% of their household income and the government pays the balance of the rent.

The Trump administration's proposal to cut voucher assistance does not directly appear in the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," the spending plan now being debated in Congress. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administers the program.

The administration didn't respond to Newsday asking if it still seeks the cuts to Section 8 and rental assistance that were spelled out in the White House's May budget plan, which was later updated in detail.

An unidentified spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development declined to comment on whether the cuts to rental assistance remain a priority and instead referred to a statement on Trump's budget proposal by the department's secretary, Scott Turner.

"Importantly, it furthers our mission-minded approach at HUD of taking inventory of our programs and processes to address the size and scope of the federal government, which has become too bloated and bureaucratic to efficiently function," Turner said.

Turner defended the president's voucher cuts before a House Appropriations subcommittee on June 10, saying reform would encourage able-bodied residents to "move up and get out of assisted housing."

The administration seeks, Turner said, to "prune the administrative burden" of the federal voucher program by providing money through blocks grants to states, which can be "more thoughtful and precise in their stewardship" of vouchers, while supporting seniors and the disabled.

"It doesn't make sense to harm large swaths of innocent people because you believe a few people may be unjustly enriched," said Ian Wilder, executive director of Long Island Housing Services, which receives federal funding for its work in addressing housing insecurity.

New York's 1st and 2nd congressional districts, which cover the majority of Suffolk County, account for at least 20,000 people who live on federal housing assistance through Section 8 or housing choice vouchers, including at least 3,100 occupied households in which the head of the household is of working age and able-bodied, according to federal data.

Second district U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) declined a request for an interview and did not provide his thoughts on the White House proposal.

"The president's budget proposal is just that — a proposal," he said in a statement. "Like every administration before, President Trump has made his requests of Congress, but it's up to appropriators to craft next year's budget."

First District Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and 3rd District Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) didn't respond to requests for comment.

In Nassau County's two congressional districts, there are more than 13,000 people who live in voucher-based housing and more than 2,600 occupied households where the head of the household is of working age and able-bodied.

$57,500

Annual income threshold below which a one-person-household is eligible for a Section 8 voucher

"We need long-term solutions to bring down costs and lower housing prices so that young people can buy homes and our seniors can afford to stay here," Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) said in a statement to Newsday.

Gillen, who represents the 4th congressional district, which includes central and southern Nassau, declined an interview request and also did not specify her stance on Section 8 or housing choice voucher programs.

A spokeswoman for the state office of Homes and Community Renewal, which administers a portion of federal housing vouchers, referred to prior comments from Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor described Trump's budget as a "culmination of reckless and dangerous cuts," including to rental assistance programs.

The state budget includes $50 million for a new pilot program to address homelessness with state-funded vouchers.

"While I'm doing everything in my power to protect New Yorkers from these devastating blows, no state in the nation can backfill the cuts that the president is proposing," Hochul said. She has called on the state's Republican congressional delegation to block the cuts.

'I still can't afford to live on Long Island'

The Trump administration proposal said a "majority of rental assistance funding through states would go to the elderly and disabled," but voucher holders, advocates and administrators expressed confusion as to who would be spared.

"I wasn't sure which side of the sword I'd wind up on," said Robert Muchnick, president of Metro House Constructions and owner of Northwood Village Apartments in Patchogue.

Robert Muchnick owns Northwood Village in Patchogue, which has a federal contract to serve seniors and the disabled under the "project-based rental assistance" program and is facing possible cuts. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca

Muchnick's father, Saul, built the campus in 1979. It has more than 64 one-bedroom or studio apartments interspersed across well-kept lawns and sun-soaked patios.

Residents tend to stay. One unit may open up every six months, Muchnick said.

Across Long Island, the typical length of stay for tenants on a housing voucher has slightly increased over recent years. A decade ago, a voucher holder may have been in their home for just under 10 years. Last year, it was approaching 11.5 years — well beyond the two-year period the White House recommends as the new max.

Northwood Village has a federal contract to serve seniors and the disabled under the "project-based rental assistance" program, which the administration named as facing possible cuts.

"If these people lost their subsidy, there is no way they could pay what I would need to charge in rent to keep the place economically viable," Muchnick said in a recent interview from his office.

Even if seniors are spared, working-age recipients would have far less time to create the kind of success story that Felicia Calhoun touts.

Calhoun, 59 of Hempstead, received a Section 8 voucher about 15 years ago, after a two-year wait.

Felicia Calhoun speaks about the risk to the Section 8 housing choice voucher. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp

She is a single mother with seven children, all of whom, she proudly states, graduated from high school. She survived cancer. She went back to school to earn her bachelor's degree and then her master's degree, achieving a dream of her late mother.

"Stats and research would've counted me out," Calhoun said.

Calhoun, who grew up in West Hempstead, said she's been working since she was 14, from summer programs to grocery stores to pharmacies.

She now works as a family therapist and addiction counselor and is preparing to take a state licensing exam to further her credentials.

"Even me, with a master's degree, I still can't afford to live on Long Island, where I was raised," said Calhoun, who pays $2,050 toward her $2,600-a-month rent for a two-bedroom apartment, part of HUD's "family self-sufficient program."

This rental assistance afforded Calhoun, she said, the ability to "take my kids somewhat out of an impoverished neighborhood and live in another neighborhood."

'You have a different kind of life'

Gonzalez, the domestic abuse survivor, today works at a cemetery where she makes about $60,000 a year, she said. If federal assistance was cut — and the state did not make up for it — her mortgage would be about $3,700 a month, double what she currently pays.

"You do the numbers — you have a different kind of life," Gonzalez said from her living room.

It was a mid-June day. Gonzalez stepped out of the 810-square-foot home.

The horn of a Long Island Rail Road train at the nearby station blew. Teenagers at a home across the street jumped in a car to head out on a sunsetting, crisp night.

Gonzalez has lived on Long Island since immigrating here from the Dominican Republic in 2003. She walked around her lawn and admired her azaleas blooming behind her white picket fence.

"They can review whoever is in the program," Gonzalez said, referring to political questions around fraud or abuse of federal housing subsidies. "There could be a lot of different things going on in this country, but for me and my family, we're very grateful."

How we did it

Newsday analyzed U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data based on two groups of people who receive federal housing assistance: those in the "housing voucher choice program," commonly known as "Section 8," and those living at "project-based Section 8" housing. Newsday excluded from its analysis those who are at least 62 years old and considered seniors by HUD, and those considered disabled. After excluding these groups from the dataset, Newsday established the number of households led by a working-age, able-bodied recipient. The Trump administration has proposed to put a two-year limit on vouchers for this subset.

Nearly 6,000 LI Households Could Face Homelessness If Trump Cuts Section 8 Funding

ShareA plan to slash rental assistance by $26 billion would cap housing vouchers for working-age, able-bodied adults at two years. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports  Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost; C-SPANStay logged in.

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Section 8 Housing Cuts Explained: Complete Guide To 2025 Changes Under Trump Budget Proposal

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Millions of Americans who rely on Section 8 housing assistance could soon face major changes. Under the Trump administration's 2025 budget proposal, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would see a $26.7 billion reduction in funding for rental assistance programs—a 43% cut from current levels.

Here's everything you need to know about how these proposed changes could impact you.

What is Section 8 Housing?

Section 8, officially known as the Housing Choice Voucher Program, provides rental assistance to about 2.3 million low-income households nationwide. The program helps eligible families, older people, and people with disabilities afford safe, stable housing by subsidizing a portion of their rent.

Demand for vouchers consistently exceeds supply, leading to long waiting lists in most areas.

What Changes are Proposed for Section 8 in 2025?

The 2025 budget proposal includes several major changes:

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$26.7 billion in funding cuts to HUD rental assistance programs, including Section 8.

New time limits: Able-bodied adults without disabilities would be limited to two years of assistance.

Shift to State Control: Federal rental assistance would move to state-administered block grants, allowing states to set their own eligibility rules and benefit levels.

If enacted, these changes would dramatically reshape how housing aid is distributed across the country.

Renters with Section 8 Vouchers often complain that landlords don't want to rent to them. How Would the Cuts Affect Current Section 8 Voucher Holders?

Current voucher holders could face:

Reduced funding for vouchers, leading to lower subsidies or loss of support.

Increased wait times for renewals.

Stricter eligibility reviews at the state level.

Some states may continue to fully support voucher programs, while others could impose tighter restrictions or eliminate benefits for certain groups.

How Would the Cuts Affect New Section 8 Applicants?

For those trying to access Section 8 housing for the first time, the outlook could be even more challenging:

Fewer available vouchers.

Longer or permanently closed waiting lists.

Varying rules depending on the state, creating a fragmented system across the country.

States with smaller housing budgets could limit eligibility to the highest-need applicants only.

Which Groups are Most At Risk?

The proposed changes could disproportionately impact:

Low-income families with children.

Older adults living on fixed incomes.

People with disabilities.

Single adults without dependents who are currently eligible but may lose access under new time limits.

What Happens Next?

The budget proposal must still pass through Congress. Lawmakers are expected to propose amendments, and negotiations over funding levels could take several months.

Housing advocates are urging the public to contact their representatives and raise concerns about the potential impact on vulnerable populations.

What Can You Do If You Rely on Section 8?

If you currently receive Section 8 assistance or are on a waiting list, experts recommend:

Contacting your local housing authority to stay updated on potential changes.

Monitoring HUD announcements and updates from advocacy organizations.

Reaching out to your representatives to voice your opinion about proposed cuts.

Exploring state and local rental assistance programs as backup options.

Helpful Resources

HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program

National Low Income Housing Coalition

Find Your Local Housing Authority

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