City Auditor condemns Trump funding cuts as Fair Housing Month ends
Syracuse City Auditor Alexander Marion and local fair housing advocates held a press conference condemning the Trump administration’s actions. Organizations such as CNY Fair Housing expect to lose all federal support. Sydney DePietto | Staff Writer
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Syracuse City Auditor Alexander Marion and local fair housing advocates condemned President Donald Trump’s administration’s federal funding cut at a Wednesday press conference. As Trump hits 100 days in office, Marion said his actions will negatively impact the city.
Wednesday marked the end of Fair Housing Month, meant to reaffirm a commitment to ending housing discrimination. Marion, alongside CNY Fair Housing Executive Director Sally Santangelo and Housing Policy Manager Alex Lawson, said the cuts will impact the organization. About 60% of its budget comes from federal funding.
“From day one, this administration has taken action after action to undermine the fundamental idea that people should have the right to choose where they want to live free from discrimination,” Santangelo said.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development currently faces proposed cuts that could reduce staff in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity by 76%, Shriver Center on Poverty Law reported. HUD is the central enforcer of the Fair Housing Act, which protects against housing discrimination.
The Trump administration terminated 78 grants to support states and local agencies, including a CNY central education and outreach grant, which allowed the organization to provide training for landlords.
Santangelo said the cuts could make it difficult for the organization to continue its work as a federal contractor. The reduction would “paralyze” CNY Fair Housing staff due to a lack of guidance and a fear of federal retaliation, Santanlego said.
“Our work is essential, and it’s effective and it’s efficient. We’re in our communities. We’re here. We people have connections with us,” Santangelo said. “They know us, and we’re able to use our local experience to make sure that people’s federal fair housing rights are being enforced.”
HUD also regulates the Equal Access Rule, mandating equal access to HUD-funded housing programs regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. Last month, HUD Secretary Scott Turner instructed the agency to cease all enforcement.
Marion called the decision an act of “pro-discrimination” and a “pro-increase in homelessness,” citing homelessness rates as transgender people experience being homeless at higher rates than their cisgender counterparts.
Since Trump’s first term, the number of transgender people experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has increased by 57%, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“These bigots of the Trump administration trade in the currency of hate, are letting billionaire corporate landlords and their far-right extremist friends have a free pass at our transgender friends and neighbors to throw them out of their home,” Marion said. “This needs to be stopped.”
The nonprofit’s services span across 14 counties, including Onondaga. CNY Fair Housing provides counseling, advocates for housing rights and investigates rental, sales, insurance and financing complaints. It also provides free legal representation to victims of illegal housing discrimination.
Marion said combatting the rollbacks will take resources, time, money and a determination to fight. He urged the community to help state and local governments, along with fair housing organizations, fight back against the administration.
He also emphasized the importance of passing tenant protections, including Good Cause Eviction, on the local level. Collaboration and activism are necessary to stop local government from being “enablers” of the Trump administration’s cutbacks, Marion said.
Under the Good Cause eviction law, landlords cannot evict tenants without a valid reason. The New York state law went into effect in April 2024 and aims to provide more security and fairness to tenants.
“Let me be clear about this, anyone not supporting Good Cause Eviction on the local level is helping Donald Trump and Scott Turner dismantle fair housing, those folks are rooting for Good Cause Eviction laws to fail, and we cannot let that happen,” Marion said.
Lawson stressed the importance of understanding residential rights and encouraged residents to continue to use CNY Fair Housing and other organizations as a resource.
“It isn’t abstract. It’s having an impact here locally, on our community, on our ability to protect ourselves, to be the community we want to be,” Lawson said. “We need to fight back in order to protect our rights to fair housing.”
