Voucher Holders Face Housing Hurdles as Federal Budget Proposal Targets Housing Programs

Finding stable housing wasn’t easy for Kimyade Richardson-Keys and his wife. But after a difficult stretch last spring and summer — including repeated rejections from landlords who refused to accept their housing choice vouchers — the family has now spent a year settled in their current home in Southside Richmond and recently watched their twins graduate from high school.

Their struggle ultimately led to a housing discrimination settlement.

Richardson-Keys, a gastroenterologist technician, and his wife, a caretaker, have maintained good credit and supported their family financially.  Their housing choice voucher helps reduce living expenses, especially because, he said, insurance does not cover medications critical for maintaining Richardson-Key’s kidney transplant.

Moriah Wilkins, an attorney with Housing Opportunities Made Equal, said the couple’s case was settled out of court, as was a separate case involving Dana Wyatt, a grandmother and former certified nursing assistant.

Wyatt said she tried to use her voucher last year for a house but was rejected. With some of her six children living with her, she said she had hoped to find a home with a backyard where her grandchildren could play.

Because landlords are not allowed to reject voucher holders unless they own fewer than four properties, the rejection became part of Wyatt’s case.

“It was stressful,” she said of trying to find a home and use her voucher.

Ultimately, she settled on a three-bedroom apartment in Southside Richmond, despite having a voucher for a four-bedroom residence.

But it was use it or lose it, she said, and the voucher at least allows her to pay a little more than $300 toward her roughly $1,800 rent. The reduced stress has also helped her focus on her health — she’s getting her diabetes under control and has transitioned from the physical labor of nursing work to managing a store.

But for a program known as housing choice voucher, Wyatt said there often is not much choice when available units do not meet a family’s needs, or landlords refuse to accept vouchers.

Wilkins said Richmond-area voucher holders continue to face major hurdles, particularly because smaller landlords are allowed to reject vouchers, and some larger landlords still attempt to do so.

Delays in securing housing can also carry serious consequences. In some cases, tenants risk losing their voucher altogether, adding financial strain and increasing the risk of homelessness.

“It’s not just ‘oh they missed out on this house, apartment, or neighborhood,’” Wilkins said of many clients.

Tom Okuda Fitzpatrick, executive director of HOME of Virginia, said landlords should view voucher holders as stable tenants because the program guarantees a monthly rent payment, whether it covers part or all of the rent.

Trump administration eyes changes to vouchers, other housing programs

While vouchers remain a reliable source of payment for landlords and a lifeline for tenants, the future of who qualifies could change under proposals from President Donald Trump that would require federal approval.

Trump’s proposed 2027 budget calls for cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the federal agency that oversees s several housing construction or assistance programs used by local governments.

“It feels like a one-two punch,” Fitzpatrick said.

Among other proposed changes is a proposed HUD rule for work requirements and a two-year time limit on voucher use for recipients younger than 62 years who are not disabled.

The Center on Budget Priorities estimates nearly 3.7 million people nationwide could be at risk of losing their vouchers. Fitzpatrick also noted that rising childcare costs have pushed some families to rely on one stay-at-home parent or limit work hours to manage caregiving responsibilities.

Trump is also again seeking to eliminate Community Development Block Grants.

The proposed $3.3 billion cut would affect a major federal funding source local governments use to build affordable housing, renovate and revitalize neighborhoods, and help boost economic development projects in low- and moderate-income communities.

In its budget outline, the Trump administration argued the grants have been “funneled” into “ideological pet projects and failed to target funding to communities in need.”

As part of the administration’s broader opposition to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, the proposal pointed to cities like Denver and Chicago that have used an equity-focused approach when approving grants.

Virginia housing nonprofits and residents are monitoring federal cuts, fraying state safety nets

Another proposed cut would eliminate $1.3 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, which helps local and state governments provide down payment assistance, rehabilitate housing, and build or acquire affordable units.

Trump also wants to eliminate the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which the administration said “provides grants to woke nonprofits that promote radical equity policies and advocate against single-family neighborhoods.”

The program provides federal grants to organizations like HOME of Virginia that investigate and pursue housing discrimination cases. As a nonprofit, HOME of Virginia relies on  a mix of grants and philanthropic support, but the federal funding helps the organization and similar groups nationwide ensure housing rights are protected.

Fitzpatrick noted that HUD faced similar proposed cuts last year before Congress “pushed back in bipartisan ways.”

He said that offers some hope, though he remains cautious.

Because Congress still must negotiate and approve the next federal budget, Trump’s proposals are far from guaranteed. But housing organizations like HOME of Virginia are watching closely.

So is Richardson-Keys.

This year brought a sense of relief and pride as his “honor roll” twins graduated from high school and prepared to head to college this fall. With his oldest child already a junior in college and all three children earning scholarships, Richardson-Keys said raising them remains one of the most important jobs he and his wife have achieved.

But the couple still must help support their newly grown children as they begin adulthood, while also managing his medical bills, keeping food on the table, and handling day-to-day life.

With HUD again facing budget cuts, Richardson-Keys said he worries not only about his own family, but about many others trying to stay afloat.

“I’m so passionate about all of the things going on right now,” he said. “It feels like no one cares about the people who are trying but can’t quite get ahead. It feels like the higher-ups don’t understand how much you struggle down here.”

by Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

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