Hunger

“The layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services slashed the staffs of major federal aging, disability and anti-poverty programs, leaving the future of those programs uncertain.

“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to swiftly bar the use of food stamps to buy soda is fueling tensions between his team and the Agriculture Department, according to four people inside and outside government familiar with the dynamics.

“Democrats have long looked to the government to support their families through public programs and spending. Increasingly, Republicans want the same.

“For nonprofits, the freeze is mostly over. The worry is just beginning.

“In his first term as president, Donald J. Trump targeted what many Republicans consider blatant welfare waste — a rule that gives food stamps to millions of people with incomes above the usual limit on eligibility.

“Homelessness has risen sharply since 2023, new data show. The research is clear: rental assistance promotes housing stability and is key to solving homelessness. Reducing, and ultimately solving, homelessness will require expanding rental assistance and access to supportive services. Unfortunately, President-elect Trump’s record and Republican proposals raise concerns that the incoming Administration and Congress could abandon evidence-based approaches; cut fundingfor programs like rental assistance, increasing the already large number of households who don’t receive help because of inadequate resources; and pursue policies that will further increase homelessness and housing instability and deepen inequities.