How Cuts to Nutrition and Housing Assistance Ripple Through Communities

Cuts to vital food and housing programs risk unraveling a tightly linked support structure that strengthens the fabric of our communities. 

Across the country, rising food and housing costs are pushing families to the brink—while critical resources are being pulled away. Recent and pending federal cuts to vital nutrition and housing programs threaten to deepen the crisis, undermining not just individual stability but the strength and resilience of entire communities.

The Issue

Congress passed and the President signed a bill cutting SNAP by $186 billion, the largest reduction in the program’s history. Meanwhile, a proposed 43% cut to federal rental assistance in the FY 2026 budget threatens to deepen the economic security crisis. These cuts will devastate families and have a ripple effect across communities:

• Families will be forced to make impossible choices between food, housing, healthcare, and other essentials.
• Communities will face increased instability and declining wellbeing as cuts reduce access to basic services people rely on to thrive. 
• Local economies will see job losses and increased demand for food, housing support, and other social services. 

Why it Matters

Every community in every ZIP code should be a place where people can live their healthiest lives. Regardless of race or income, everyone should have a safe, affordable home, easy access to healthy food, clean water, and good job opportunities. SNAP and federal rental assistance programs have been vital lifelines. Cuts to vital food and housing programs risk unraveling a tightly linked support structure that strengthens the fabric of our communities.

By the Numbers

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• SNAP stabilizes communities by reducing poverty, improving health, and preventing hunger.
  • Nearly 80% of SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, elderly adult, or a person with a disability. 
• SNAP also has a direct impact on local economies.
  • Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates about $1.50 in economic activity, as families spend at over 250,000 local grocery stores and supermarkets. In 2020, SNAP purchases added more than $1 billion to federal and $975 million to state and local tax revenues—strengthening economies nationwide.

Federal Housing Assistance Programs

• Federal rental assistance programs help roughly 10 million people with the lowest incomes afford rent, including nearly 3.2 million children, 2.6 million people with disabilities, and almost 2 million older adults.
  • Programs impacted include Housing Choice Vouchers, Section 8, Public Housing, and supportive housing for seniors (Section 202) and people with disabilities (Section 811).
  • Housing voucher values are tied to local rental costs and require inflation-adjusted funding increases to serve the same number of families as rents rise—yet only about 25% of eligible households currently receive assistance.

Conclusion

The ability to afford safe housing and healthy food is essential to building strong communities and supporting the economic foundation of the nation. Investments in support programs like SNAP and rental assistance boost people’s income so they can afford housing and put healthy food on the table. These federal programs help families; protect the fabric of our communities; and allow everyone to live their healthiest lives.