Abilene Housing Authority relieved after funding freeze rescinded, but uncertainty remains
ABILENE, Texas () – On Monday, January 30, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order to freeze federal funding, government entities across the country raised concerns, including the Abilene Housing Authority.
Trump's spending freeze roils Capitol Hill
The organization, which runs two main programs—public housing and rental assistance—was just one week away from a payment due date when the news broke. CEO Gene Reed said that when he reviewed the fine print of the order on Tuesday, he sighed in relief.
'The initial notice that was sent out wasn't very detailed in terms of who was going to be paused and who wasn't going to be paused,' Reed said. 'On one of the questions and answers, it specifically mentioned that rental assistance would not be affected. So, we were glad to hear that late in the day.'
White House aide says spending freeze isn't being rescinded despite memo
The Public Housing Fund, which supports the office's operations, was frozen until the rescind notice was issued on Wednesday. Reed explained that the fund is crucial to their foundational work, as it helps maintain the building they operate from.
'When we talk about our Public Housing Program, we receive an operating subsidy that helps pay for it. Salaries are like bills, our gas bills, our water bills, and all the other line-item expenses that we have,' Reed explained.
This decision comes when the Abilene Housing Authority is seeing a rise in local families in need of assistance. Reed noted that they currently serve more than 1,800 families in the area.
'We've seen our waiting lists grow exponentially since COVID,' Reed said. '[The housing market] is cyclical, but we're still in a time where we're seeing high market rents. It definitely is making it challenging for families that we provide subsidies to actually find units.'
Is Abilene losing affordable housing options? Low-income tenants face high wait times for placement
Despite the rescind notice, Reed said he remains cautious, waiting for the White House's next move.
'We hope we can rely on and trust this last letter that's come out. We have informed the community to continue to watch our website,' Reed said. 'Obviously, for us, we represent a lot of low-income families here in the community, and obviously, they had a lot of apprehensions when they heard about it.'
Click here to learn more about the Abilene Housing Authority.
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