How will a second Trump administration impact Evanston's housing goals?
With President-elect Donald Trump once again preparing to take the reins of government, housing advocates in Evanston and nationwide are bracing for sweeping changes to federal housing policy.
The city's 2025 proposed budget anticipates over $4.8 million in grants from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
On the campaign trail, Trump said he would lower the cost of housing, He blamed high housing costs mostly on inflation and illegal immigrants and said to fix it, he would slash mortgage rates, cut regulations and open some federal land to build more housing .
The president doesn't have the power to cut interest rates or mortgage rates, and in fact some experts say they anticipate mortgage rates could rise during Trump's first year in office, according to the Associated Press .
Rob Anthony, President of Community Partner for Affordable Housing , which works in Evanston and across the north shore to increase affordable housing, said he and the organization are "concerned" about Trump's return to office.
"This is not the time for cuts to housing," Anthony said. "We intend to watch the new administration's housing policy very closely and be prepared to make necessary adjustments to ensure essential housing services continue to be available in the communities we serve."
In Trump's first term, he attempted to roll back several key HUD programs like the the HOME Investment Partnerships Program and the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) program, both programs provide funding to Evanston and CPAH.
Last Monday, Evanston released a draft for its 2025-2029 consolidated plan to submit to HUD by the end of the year to receive federal funding.
In the draft, the city says using CDBG "will allow the City to maintain and improve existing rental and homeowner housing in order to maintain the affordability of living in Evanston."
HOME funds are spent throughout the city to address rehabilitation and affordability needs and the city was previously awarded HOME funds to support the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program managed by Connections for the Homeless.
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss told Evanston Now "any reduction to our HUD funding will affect our ability to address affordable housing and other needs in Evanston."
Biss said that the city estimated CDBG grants and HOME funds "conservatively" in the 2025 budget "based on threats that HUD funding will be reduced."
Evanston's Housing and Community Development Committee will discuss the draft consolidated plans and both HUD programs at its Tuesday meeting .
Robert Greenstein, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute, wrote in September that Trump's first administration called for "large reductions in rental assistance and other housing-related programs," that would've increased rent on more than 40% of low-income households that rely on rental vouchers or public housing.
Last week, the National Low Income Housing Coalition sent a memo to its members, urging them to call on Congress to pass the proposed FY2025 budget with increased funding for HUD programs, and a bill that would "permanently authorize" the CDBG program.
"Republican control of Congress and the White House would have significant implications for policies and funding related to HUD's vital affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs, in addition to other safety net and anti-poverty programs," the memo said. "It is likely his administration will continue pushing for these harmful policies in its new term."
The city's 2025 proposed budget anticipates 14.8% (or roughly $450,000) less in CDBG grants than the adopted budget in 2024, and 3.8% less in HOME funds than last year.
While it remains unclear who Trump will nominate to run HUD, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, who ran the department from 2017-2021, called for major cuts to HUD in a second Trump term in the housing and urban development chapter of Project 2025 .
"The Secretary should initiate a HUD task force consisting of politically appointed personnel to identify and reverse all actions taken by the Biden Administration to advance progressive ideology," Carson wrote .
Carson also said localities should have the final say in zoning laws, but added that a "conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning," something Evanston is preparing to do .
But Anthony said the growing severity of the housing crisis could be reason for a change of course from Trump's first term, at least he hopes.
"We are hopeful that the significance of the problem and the increased attention to the issue would encourage a second Trump administration to continue support of HUD and other important housing programs," Anthony said.
