MIAMI – President Donald Trump’s planned pause of federal grants and loans was supposed to start Tuesday — as his administration begins an ideological review of spending — and caused concern among South Florida local government officials before a judge put it temporarily on hold. Multiple programs and projects rely on federal money.
Trump said he is working to ensure federal programs align with his policy priorities, while local leaders try to determine what this means for their budgets — especially in areas that impact low-income families the most, such as affordable housing and public transportation.
6 p.m. report:
A judge temporarily put the plan on hold late Tuesday afternoon, but, beforehand, officials said they were worried about the announcement.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told Local 10 News on Tuesday that she and other top officials “are very concerned about this announcement.”
Levine Cava said that the county relies on numerous federal grants across various departments.
With a pressing deadline, county staff is working quickly to assess the situation.
“We were told there is a 5 p.m. deadline today for the submission of certain things, so we have been galvanizing to make sure to meet that deadline wherever possible,” Levine Cava said.
Officials are trying to determine how a federal funding freeze could affect the county’s budget.
“We have been doing an inventory, even as we sit here today, to understand what the impact is on a variety of sources to our budget.” Levine Cava said.
When asked which departments and projects could be affected, Levine Cava pointed to key areas.
“We have the Department of Transportation and Public Works, we have our housing — those are two of the top that come to mind,” she said. “Section 8 vouchers — how are people going to have rent payments made? We, of course, are in line for certain funding that was recommended for our Northeast Corridor (commuter rail). Will that move forward?”
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, the National Low Income Housing Coalition warned of the potential consequences.
“This extreme order could prevent states and communities, nonprofit organizations, and low-income families from receiving the critical resources needed to address our nation’s most pressing affordable housing and homelessness challenges,” the organization said.
Annie Lord, the executive director of Miami Homes for All, said that “in a way it is overwhelming and that’s perhaps by design.”
“Certainly it causes some chaos and definitely concern among nonprofit service providers and many others that have been counting on these federal grants,” she said.
Miami-Dade Homeless Trust Chairman Ron Book also weighed in.
“Anytime you have a broad edict, and in this case a national freeze, you have the fear of the unknown,” he said. “But I think people need to take a deep breath.”
Book emphasized that the Trust is in a solid financial position, at least for now.
“We will continue to attempt to draw down anything we have expended to date. I think the Trust is in a good financial position to carry for some period of time,” he said. “Just because there is a freeze, we can’t stop what we are doing, we can’t put people out on the streets. And I don’t think that is what the administration would want the leading continuum in America to do.”
Book continued, “Let’s be clear—almost half our budget, we have a $103 million-a-year budget and basically half of that is federal dollars. We would be in a terrible place if (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) was no longer our partner.”
County leaders in Broward and a spokesperson for the city of Fort Lauderdale say they are also working to determine the potential impact as the issue unfolds in federal court.