What Trump’s Executive Orders Mean for US Housing Programs

Orders related to DEI and accessibility, among others, may threaten housing programs for those who need them most.

1 minute read

March 3, 2025, 8:00 AM PST

By Christine McLaren


Department of Housing and Urban Development building in Washington, D.C. Concrete Brutalist high-rise.

eurobanks / Adobe Stock

For those looking to understand what Trump’s recent executive orders might mean for housing programs in America, Shelterforce Magazine has served up a valuable deep dive into the potential implications of each order, including detailed interviews with affected federal grantees.

The piece primarily covers three orders: one relating to DEI, accessibility and environmental justice; one relating to intersex and transgender people; and one covering both the Inflation Reduction and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts.

While the picture portrayed in the piece is bleak with many housing programs serving specific at-risk populations now in jeopardy, it also emphasizes that the implementation of the orders remains a question.

“The legality of these executive orders and how they will be implemented is unclear. On Friday, Feb 21, right after this article was first published, a judge issued a preliminary injunction against the anti-DEI order, saying it violated the first amendment, According to the order, federal agencies would have had to report back to the administration about their grantees’ compliance with the anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion orders by Thursday, March 20. Ongoing legal challenges are expected,” write Miriam Axel-Lute and Lara Heard.

Friday, February 21, 2025 in Shelterforce

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