Plan would cut HUD's budget by $6 billion

The Trump administration has considered more than $6 billion in cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to preliminary budget documents. The plan would squeeze public housing support and end most federally funded community development grants, which provide services such as meal assistance and cleaning up abandoned properties in low-income neighborhoods.

It's the latest evidence that the administration is following through on President Donald Trump's goal to cut domestic spending by $54 billion to bolster the defense budget. HUD's budget would shrink by about 14 percent to $40.5 billion in fiscal 2018, which begins in October.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson has taken a staunchly conservative stance on public assistance in the past, saying dependency on HUD programs could become "a way of life" for recipients. The preliminary budget maintains the same level of funding to rental assistance programs and avoids reductions that could directly put families on the streets.

Washington Post