Montgomery County Commissioners Chair Neil K. Makhija (Credit: Montgomery County)
While the long-term implications of the Trump administration's directive are unclear, what we do know is: This decision will hurt hundreds of thousands of people in Montgomery County. Montco residents are the beneficiaries of over $140 million in federal grant programs per year.
Federally funded programs in Montgomery County allow us to ensure seniors are safe and healthy, protect children from abuse, rebuild roads and bridges, encourage more affordable housing, and beyond. The potential long-term implications of this White House directive, which has tenuous legal standing, means that more kids go hungry, seniors are in danger of abuse, veterans struggle to reenter their communities, commuters experience more roadway congestion, and people struggle to afford their homes.
With this directive, the Trump Administration has frozen $22 million in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants for Montgomery County residents, effecting programs from homeowner repair and lead remediation work to rental assistance and emergency shelter operations. The order has also paused $188 million in CARBON funding to the Southeastern PA region, ceasing projects related to County's parks and 100 miles of trails for our residents. The Department of Public Safety no longer has access to $11 million in federal funding for its anti-terrorism task force, reducing our local preparedness and training against violent events.
Making such a short-sighted decision without notifying local governments in advance adds to the harmful effect. Local governments, whose budgets for the year have already been adopted, cannot plan for this sudden decrease in funding. In short, the Trump administration's actions are not only jeopardizing the well-being of our residents but are being carried out in a way that maximizes disruption and chaos.
