US Housing Department to Shed Half its Workers, Union Chief Says

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to discharge 50% of its workforce, the agency’s union president told Bloomberg Law.

Antonio Gaines, president of AFGE National Council 222, said the department will cut employees in the offices that enforce civil rights laws, compile data about the housing market, and pay to rebuild communities after disasters. The Federal Housing Administration, which provides mortgage insurance on loans, will be excluded, Gaines said.

The agency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

HUD provides housing and community development assistance. The agency employs 9,600 people, according to its website.

President Donald Trump directed agency heads Feb. 11 to “undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” that focus on firing workers who “perform functions not mandated by statute,” including “diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”

The US Forest Service, will terminate about 3,400 employees, the agency’s union president told Bloomberg Law. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will lay off most of its workers, the agency’s union said in a Thursday court filing.