Trump's “Able Bodied” Public Housing Limits Could Displace Over 300,000 New Yorkers

As part of 43% cut to federal rental assistance, Trump is proposing a two-year limit on public housing tenure for “able bodied adults.”

1 minute read

June 2, 2025, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Tall red brick public housing building in New York City surrounded by shorter apartment buildings.

Mikhail / Adobe Stock

President Trump’s proposal to set a two-year limit on housing assistance for what he calls “able-bodied” people could eliminate federal housing support for over 300,000 people in New York City alone, reports Greg B. Smith in The City.

The cuts are part of a proposed 43 percent reduction in all federal rental assistance, including Section 8 housing vouchers. Based on the “vague description” of able-bodied adults provided in the proposed budget, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) that 316,000 residents would be impacted, or 61 percent of all tenants the agency serves.

The cuts would not only displace residents but destabilize housing agencies and nonprofits that depend on federal subsidies to provide low-cost housing, Smith notes. U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-The Bronx) warned that “Trump’s plan to drastically cut federal rental assistance and impose the ‘able-bodied adult’ time limits would ‘remove or radically restrict rental assistance for the most vulnerable households’” and could “trigger prolonged housing court litigation, widespread non-payment of rent, and a cascade of loan delinquencies throughout the multi-family housing market.”

Friday, May 30, 2025 in The City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America

Group of e-scooters messily parked on street in London with black cab in background.

The European Cities That Love E-Scooters — And Those That Don’t

Where they're working, where they're banned, and where they're just as annoying the tourists that use them.

June 19 - Bloomberg CityLab

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19 - Outdoor Life