U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Staff Placed on Administrative Leave; HUD Workforce Drops by Estimated 23% Since January – Take Action!

United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) staff were placed on administrative leave on April 15, following an executive order (EO) released last month targeting the agency and several others for closure (see Memo, 3/17).  

Kenneth Jackson, an official with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was appointed acting director of the agency the day before all 13 USICH staff were placed on leave. According to recent reports, the agency will continue to operate with just one or two employees. 

USICH was created under the “McKinney-Vento Homeless Act of 1987” to coordinate the federal response to homelessness between departments and agencies, including developing a federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness and annual reports on the plan’s implementation. By law, the agency is required to have an executive director, and at least five regional field advisors.  

The layoffs at USICH are the latest in a series of actions taken by the Trump Administration to severely reduce the size, role, and capacity of federal agencies and departments. On April 1, over 10,000 staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) were fired, including the 23 federal employees responsible for administering the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP; see Memo, 4/7).  

HUD Staffing Updates  

At HUD, since the beginning of the year an estimated 2,300 staff – around 23% of HUD’s workforce – have either retired, been placed on administrative leave, or accepted an offer for the Deferred Resignation Program. At the beginning of the year, HUD employed around 10,000 people around the country.  

Better known as the “fork in the road” offer, the Deferred Resignation Program offers federal employees the option of voluntarily separating from their job while receiving pay and benefits through September 30. HUD was also issued a Reduction in Force (RIF) memo giving the agency until May 18 to develop a plan to layoff employees at and below a specified classification, while earlier this year, leaked documents from DOGE revealed plans to terminate at least half of HUD’s workforce.  

Take Action!  

Tell members of Congress why HUD resources are critical to low-income families and communities and urge representatives to protect HUD programs and staff!  

HUD staff play a vital role in ensuring federal resources can reach the communities, families, and individuals they serve. Without HUD employees, the department will not be able to administer resources and provide technical assistance crucial to helping communities provide rental assistance; build and preserve affordable housing; address and prevent homelessness; and rebuild housing and infrastructure after disasters.  

As a direct consequence of potential mass layoffs, homeless shelters will be forced to close their doors, communities will need to freeze affordable housing projects, households receiving rental assistance will be at risk of falling behind on rent and facing eviction, and disaster-impacted communities will be unable to rebuild. At a time when more renters than ever are struggling to afford the cost of housing and homelessness has reached a record high, we must strengthen – not shred – the nation’s housing safety net.