The federal government’s proposed cuts to rental assistance could have an outsized effect on Long Island.
The budget announced by President Donald Trump’s administration includes capping housing vouchers at two years for working-age, able-bodied adults, which could affect approximately 5,700 Long Island households receiving Section 8 assistance, Newsday reported. The area’s federally subsidized housing relies heavily on vouchers compared to traditional public housing complexes.
The region accounts for more than 33,000 people receiving voucher assistance across Nassau and Suffolk counties; Nassau County’s congressional districts house over 13,000 people in voucher-based housing. Suffolk County’s 1st and 2nd districts account for at least 20,000 assisted residents.
Voucher holders on Long Island stay in their units for an average of 11 and a half years, well beyond the proposed two-year limit.
The president of Community Development Long Island, which distributed over 9,000 vouchers to house 18,000 people last year, called the proposal “shortsighted,” given Long Island’s limited rental inventory.
The cuts target households earning below $57,500 annually, classified as “very low income” by Department of Housing and Urban Development standards. Recipients typically pay 30 percent of household income toward rent; federal assistance covers the rest.
Property owners face operational challenges under the proposed changes. One apartment complex owner in Patchogue, who operates units under federal rental assistance contracts, indicated that tenants would be unable to afford market-rate rents without subsidies.
Federal housing officials have defended the proposed changes before Congress, suggesting block grants to states would be more efficient compared to direct federal program administration.
State officials have criticized federal budget proposals. New York’s budget established a $50 million pilot program for state-funded housing vouchers to address potential gaps.
Two months ago, Trump released a proposed budget, which included a $33 billion slash to HUD’s budget.
He recommended gutting the agency’s budget by more than 40 percent in fiscal year 2026 compared to 2025, by reducing funding from $77 billion to $43.5 billion. He also wants to cut $26 billion in funding for rental assistance voucher programs and to transform programs like the Housing Choice Voucher Program, or Section 8, into limited grants.
— Holden Walter-Warner
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