CINCINNATI — Nearly $1 billion allocated for affordable housing initiatives through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been slashed, according to the Associated Press. It's part of the ongoing effort by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk to reduce federal spending.

What You Need To Know

  • HOME Greater Cincinnati recently received a notice from HUD about grant funding cuts

  • HOME's grant was for $425,000 annually and represented 30% of the organization’s 2025 budget

  • The funding cuts are part of the Trump administration's ongoing efforts to reduce federal spending

The cuts are now being felt in Ohio, where one local fair housing group says the funding reduction has placed them in a difficult position, with the future of housing stability uncertain.

For the past 57 years, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) of Greater Cincinnati has worked to eliminate illegal discrimination in housing. Elisabeth Risch, the organization’s executive director, explained their mission.

“We do fair housing, counseling, and investigation,” Risch said. “We help people who’ve been discriminated against in housing, whether it’s because of your race, color, religion, national origin, or if you have a disability.”

However, in late February, HOME received an unexpected blow. Risch received an email from HUD notifying the organization that some of their grant funding had been cut.

“Having to change that quickly, that suddenly, without any notice, without any kind of advance warning,” Risch said.

The Trump administration’s push to reduce federal spending has impacted nonprofits like HOME, as well as other groups such as the Fair Housing Resource Center in northeast Ohio, which serves three counties.

Risch explained the sudden and unexpected nature of the cut: “For a grant that we had a contract with, that we have a signed obligation, that Congress had appropriated and obligated these funds through HUD, all of that has been forced to immediately and suddenly stop.”

HOME’s grant, which provided $425,000 annually, represented 30% of the organization’s 2025 budget. The funding freeze has forced them to reduce services and scale back investigations.

Despite the freeze, the demand for HOME’s services has not slowed. According to LaTonya Springs, HOME’s assistant director who oversees the fair housing program, the number of calls for assistance remains high.

“The need for this agency is still there,” Springs said. “What we have to do because of the funding freeze is look at what is possible that we can do with the funding that we have.”

A recent report from the National Fair Housing Alliance revealed that 75% of fair housing complaints were processed by private nonprofits like HOME—the highest percentage since the 1990s.

Risch emphasized that the work HOME does is more important than ever.

“Without those services, I’m concerned that we will see an increase in housing instability,” Risch said. “We’re already seeing increases in homelessness. That really goes against what the Fair Housing Act is about and what civil rights were about. Those laws are still on the books. We still have an obligation, all of us do, to ensure that people can live where they want, free from discrimination.”

HOME Cincinnati has confirmed that it still has some remaining HUD funding that supports its fair housing education and outreach initiatives.

Nonprofits affected by HUD funding cuts, like HOME, can appeal the termination of their grant within 30 days.