Baldwin Blasts Trump Admin for Slashing $11 Million in Rural Housing Funding for Wisconsin
Wisconsin received 85% less in funding for rural home loans this year, only $2 million this year compared to an average of $13.1 million in previous years
WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is calling out the Trump Administration for slashing $11 million in federal funding that helps low-income families in rural Wisconsin afford to buy a home. This year, despite the Trump Administration having the resources to fully fund the program across the country, Wisconsin received roughly $2 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans program, compared to an average of $13.1 million in previous years – a decrease of more than $11 million. Democrats and Republicans in Congress passed a law to provide $1 billion for the program, but President Trump’s USDA refused to allocate nearly half of it.
“Wisconsin families are working harder than ever, but too many folks feel stuck or are falling behind with the rising costs of just about everything. The price of housing is crushing families and is putting the dream of homeownership further and further out of reach,” said Senator Baldwin. “And for folks in our rural areas – which is about 1 in 4 Wisconsinites – this pinch can drive them out of the places they love and out of Wisconsin’s iconic agriculture economy. Instead of helping these folks afford the roof over their heads, the Trump Administration is making matters worse by slashing resources that help working families in our rural communities afford a home. The Trump administration has the money, but they are making an active choice not to use it and not to invest in rural America. I’m fighting to bring housing costs down and make sure every Wisconsinite, no matter where they live, has every opportunity to live a good life and own a home.”
The USDA’s Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans program helps low-income families in rural communities get the financing they need to afford a home. The drastic drop in funding for Wisconsin comes as the Trump Administration failed to spend nearly half of the $1 billion Congress provided for the program nationwide. While $250 million of the nearly half billion in unspent funds can be used in the next fiscal year, the Administration allowed more than $230 million in funding to expire, resources that could have helped approximately 850 more rural families across the country afford to buy a home.
Senator Baldwin has long worked to lower housing costs and expand access to affordable homeownership for Wisconsin families. Earlier this year, the Baldwin-backed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan bill to build more affordable housing and bring down housing costs, became the law of the land.
A state-by-state breakdown comparing funding the Trump Administration has gotten out to help rural families buy homes this year versus the prior-year average is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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