Video: Blumenthal Joins Democratic Colleagues in Condemning HUD Field Office Cuts & Urging Reinstatement of Civil Servants

[Hartford, CT] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined more than 100 Democrats in the Senate and House in condemning staffing cuts and potential closures of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Field Offices across the country. In a letter to HUD Secretary Scott Turner, the lawmakers pushed him to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who were illegally fired from HUD and condemned reports that HUD is considering the illegal closure of nearly two-thirds of field offices nationwide.

The rumored HUD cuts include Connecticut’s Office, which would leave the state without an operational field office. Field offices provide critical housing services, and staffing reductions at this scale will cripple HUD’s ability to perform its basic responsibilities and legal obligations. HUD only recently rebuilt its workforce after a 20 percent drop between 2012 and 2019, and further cuts threaten disaster recovery efforts while delaying urgently needed housing development.

“We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff,” wrote the lawmakers. “These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half.”

“We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated,” continued the lawmakers.

By law, HUD is required to have at least one field office in every state to process mortgage insurance applications, yet the Trump Administration’s plan would leave 34 states, including Connecticut, without a field office. Additionally, HUD must conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field offices of the Department.”

The letter was led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-05) and also signed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-08), and U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (D-CA-44), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (D-CA-31), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), Lou Correa (D-CA-46), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Cleo Fields (D-LA-06), Shomari Figures (D-AL-02), Laura Friedman (D-CA-30), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-13), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Al Green (D-TX-09), Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), William Keating (D-MA-09), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY-26), Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-08), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), Sam Liccardo (D-CA-16), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03), James McGovern (D-MA-02), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (D-NY-05), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), David Scott (D-GA-13), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Brad Sherman (D-CA-32), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24) also signed the letter.

Blumenthal has written multiple letters to HUD Secretary Scott Turner. In a letter dated March 17^th, Blumenthal demanded answers regarding recent actions taken by the Trump Administration to gut enforcement of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and other housing-related civil rights laws. In a letter dated March 12^th, Blumenthal urged HUD to distribute $3.6 billion in congressionally appropriated funding to support vital local programs aimed at curbing homelessness across the country, including in Connecticut. In a letter dated March 10^th, Blumenthal urged Secretary Turner to reverse efforts by the Trump Administration to decimate housing programs that provide accessible housing for seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families and people experiencing homelessness. In a letter dated February 20^th, Blumenthal questioned the alarming consequences of DOGE on HUD’s ability to support vulnerable communities.

In Connecticut, HUD programs assist more than 160,000 people, 66 percent of which are seniors, children or disabled people. From 2023 to 2024, homelessness rose in Connecticut 13 percent— representing a third year of troubling increases.

Today, Blumenthal held a press conference alongside advocates in Connecticut to highlight how the Trump Administration’s cruel cuts to affordable housing programs and homelessness services will harm people in Connecticut. Video of the press conference is available here.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

March 27, 2025

The Honorable Scott Turner

Secretary

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20410

Dear Secretary Turner:

We write to express concern about reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is considering closing nearly two-thirds of the Department’s field offices, leaving most states and the District of Columbia without critical sites or staff.¹ These reports follow the unlawful mass termination of probationary federal employees, HUD’s announcement that employees at GS-13 and below in the Office of Field Policy and Management would be terminated, and reports that the Department plans to cut its agency-wide workforce by at least half.² We urge you to immediately reverse any plans to implement these short-sighted and illegal efforts that undermine the ability of HUD to accomplish its mission and legal obligations.

The United States faces a severe fair and affordable housing and homelessness crisis. HUD is the Federal agency responsible for national policy and programs that address America’s housing needs, improve and develop communities, and enforce fair housing laws, deeply impacting millions of families across the nation.³ HUD field offices collect local data to inform policymaking, administer and oversee department programs, manage and distribute funding, enforce department regulations and policies, provide guidance and support to local stakeholders, and play a critical role in developing and maintaining local relationships that ensure the success of initiatives and projects. In many cases, state and local stakeholders operate with limited capacities and require HUD assistance. HUD currently has at least one field office in every State and the District of Columbia to help implement the Department’s important mission at the local level.⁴

Reports that HUD is planning the illegal closure of field offices are extremely concerning. HUD is expressly required by law to maintain a field office in every state.⁵ Federal law also requires HUD to conduct and publish a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any “plan for the reorganization of any regional, area, insuring, or other field office of the Department.”⁶ This analysis is required to include, but not be limited to, an analysis of the impact on the local economy, an estimate of the effect of reorganization on the availability, accessibility, and quality of services provided, and credible evidence substantiating the impact of reorganization on department costs.⁷ These legal requirements are designed to protect the Department and the nation, including taxpayers, HUD’s business, nonprofit, and government partners, thousands of patriotic civil servants, and millions of families who rely on the services that HUD field offices provide.

In last year’s report on top management challenges, the HUD Office of Inspector General noted that HUD “still faces capacity challenges that affect its ability to oversee grantees, contractors, and financial services counterparties; provide high-touch technical assistance; and modernize its programs and IT systems.”⁸ Despite this reality, a February 11, 2025, Executive Order directed agency heads, including HUD, to “promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIF).” ⁹ A subsequent memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to agency heads directed each agency to submit Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans to OMB and OPM by Thursday, March 13, 2025.¹⁰

We strongly urge HUD to maintain existing field offices with adequate staffing levels and to fully and immediately reinstate civil servants who have been illegally terminated. We also ask for responses to the following information request no later than Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

1. Please provide a copy of any formal analysis conducted by HUD’s Office of General Counsel regarding HUD’s plans to close field offices, including an analysis of how such plans align with existing legal requirements that HUD maintain an office in each state.
2. Please provide a copy of the cost-benefit analysis of field reorganizations required at 42 U.S.C. 3535 that HUD has conducted as part of its plans to close field offices. Please indicate when this analysis will be published in the Federal Register and detail any additional actions the agency has already taken to alter, reduce, or reorganize field offices.
3. Please provide any formal analysis HUD has performed regarding the impact of reported office reductions on the Department’s ability to:
   1. Collect data used to inform HUD’s policy decisions and department strategies.
   2. Administer, monitor, and oversee complex programs including ensuring compliance with regulations and policies.
   3. Manage and distribute federal funding and ensure these funds are used appropriately.
   4. Enforce department policies related to fair housing, including investigating complaints related to violations of the Fair Housing Act.
   5. Provide technical assistance to local and state agencies, non-profit organizations, and other department stakeholders.
   6. Conduct public outreach including educating the local community and developing partnerships with local organizations to address housing and community development challenges.
4. Please identify the DOGE Team Lead at HUD and the name and employing agency of all DOGE Task Force members working under the team leader.
5. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any plans to reduce, alter, or eliminate HUD programs, functions or offices.
6. Please provide a copy of all HUD and DOGE documents reflecting any staff reduction that has already taken place and future staff reduction plans by program office and further disaggregated by field office and Washington, DC headquarters. Indicate whether the Department plans to eliminate or backfill each impacted position.
7. Please provide copies of HUD’s formal Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans as submitted to OMB.

We thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

-30-