Urgent Communication
The office of Maxine Waters (D-CA) has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as a “mass firing” at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the current federal government shutdown. On October 14, 2025, Waters — ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee — released a statement asserting that roughly 442 HUD employees have been terminated, citing figures from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
According to the figures shared by Waters’ office, the breakdown of the terminations includes: 103 employees from HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing; 36 from Housing Counseling; 50 from Housing Operations; 114 from Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity; and 30 from Community Planning and Development.
The statement alleges that the firings occurred amid the ongoing “Trump-Republican shutdown,” linking the move to broader efforts by the federal government to reduce workforce numbers and weaken HUD’s ability to deliver on its mandate. Waters characterized the action as “cruel, dangerous, and disgraceful,” and argued that it jeopardizes assistance programs relied on by millions of Americans.
Earlier this year, Congresswoman Waters raised concerns about field-office closures at HUD, including
allegations that the agency under Scott Turner may be planning to shutter a significant portion of its regional presence. In April 2025 she sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and HUD’s Office of Inspector General seeking inquiry into whether HUD was meeting its legal obligations to maintain regional offices.
A protest at HUD’s Washington, D.C. headquarters earlier in March backed the concerns. Federal workers and community advocates gathered to protest workforce reductions and warn that staffing cuts could delay housing assistance and negatively impact vulnerable households. Waters participated in delivering a letter to HUD, according to local coverage.
In her press release Waters emphasized that HUD’s key programs support extremely low-income households, noting that wide-scale terminations of staff would hamper the agency’s ability to carry out its mission: “Millions of Americans depend on,” she said, “federal assistance to keep a roof over their heads.”
While the press release makes strong claims about the legality of the action — stating that the firings were “illegal” because Congress has already appropriated funds and the President cannot eliminate mandated programs — external independent sources have not yet fully verified all aspects of the firings, such as the exact number or each affected office.
For Angelenos and other Americans who depend on programs administered by HUD — such as tenant-based housing vouchers, project-based rental assistance, and public housing — the staffing reductions, if accurate, could mean slower processing of claims, fewer enforcement actions for housing discrimination, and increased workload on remaining staff. Waters’ office places the number of Americans who rely on HUD programs at roughly 9 to 9.3 million, nationwide.
As the shutdown continues, and as congressional Democrats press oversight of HUD’s actions, the outcome of these staffing changes — including any legal challenges and operational impacts — will bear watching. Congresswoman Waters has pledged to “hold this Administration accountable” and to continue fighting for safe and affordable housing access “regardless of race, zip code, or income.”
Full Press Release
https://1man1vote.com/wp/full-press-release/
Charles Jackson: Author
