The largest subsidized housing provider in western Virginia can’t afford air conditioning for all of its tenants.

And there’s a new federal program that requires that the Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority find American-made products for many of its rehab and new construction projects. That’s requiring more staff time and extra taxpayer costs because the authority is finding out that many companies can’t guarantee that their products and parts are made in the U.S.

On Monday, for example, the authority’s board approved an agenda item for some new oven hoods. The price was $33,000 over budget based on the new requirement.

But air conditioning and red tape will be smaller-scale problems if Congress adopts the Trump Administration’s plan to slash certain funding to municipal housing authorities. The RRHA could lose about half of its share of that funding, from $15 million in housing vouchers, to about $7.5 million, according to RRHA Director David Bustamante, who added that the numbers are estimates. The authority has other revenue sources — a total, including HUD money, of about $39 million in fiscal year 2024, according to a financial report on its website. But the majority comes from HUD.

Bustamante said the cuts, just as the numbers show, would impact half of authority residents and tenants who have housing though the corresponding HUD funding — representing potentially 800 to 900 people.

Bustamante said the proposed cuts would involve HUD money that subsidizes tenants with private landlords and residents of RRHA units. The RRHA’s capital improvement fund – to replace boilers and other needs – could also be completely wiped out, he said.

RRHA Commissioner Debra Carter, a public housing resident of Melrose Towers, put it simply: “If you don’t want people sleeping on your lawns, start calling.”

Read: Lobby Congress.

During Monday’s meeting, Bustamante informed the board that he did get to meet with U.S. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County, earlier this month at Cline’s downtown Roanoke office.

During an interview after Monday’s RRHA board meeting, Bustamante said Cline was aware of the Trump Administration’s specifics, some RRHA numbers and Roanoke’s homelessness issue.

“We were having a conversation,” Bustamante said, “so he was prepared for the meeting.”

Cine did not commit to what he’ll do — a vote is scheduled for September — but Bustamante said Cline did say that there is a difference between making policy and appropriating funds.

Substantial policy change would be required for the Trump administration’s HUD proposal, and there may not be adequate time to do that in the next few months. It is possible that Congress could decide to fund housing authorities at current levels for the next fiscal year, a temporary measure known as a continuing resolution.

“So are continuing resolutions good for us? No,” Bustamante told the board, “But they’re a lot better than a 50-percent reduction.”

During his meeting with Cline, Bustamante said limiting the amount of time people spend in subsidized housing is something that could happen, according to the congressman.

Cline also said he could meet with RRHA officials, potentially, sometime before September if the timing can be worked out, Bustamante said.

A spokesperson for Cline wrote in an email Tuesday that the congressman has no further comment on the matter at this time.

In May, Cline released a statement in response to questions about the RRHA situation from The Roanoke Rambler:

“Congressman Cline appreciates the President’s efforts to reform our federal housing programs by encouraging homeownership and reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Cline also looks forward to considering the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies when they are introduced in committee next month. He hopes the President and Congress can reach a consensus this year that ensures every American has a place to call home.”