Trump Issues Executive Order on Reducing Poverty

President Trump recently released an executive order, “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility,” designed to guide agencies that administer public assistance programs to effectively reform the welfare system. The executive order is essentially a statement of principles by the president. The proposed work requirements are non-binding and, in the case of housing programs, would require Congressional action to implement.

The order provides nine “Principles of Economic Mobility” to guide agencies that administer public assistance programs in moving people from poverty to work and ideally, economic independence. And it directs federal agencies such as HUD to review all regulations and guidance documents relating to work requirements.

Since the issuance of the order, at a FY 2019 budget hearing at the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, PIH Acting Assistant Secretary Dominique Blom answered questions regarding the president’s budget, as well as anticipated HUD proposals to raise rents and impose work requirements on low-income households. She indicated that HUD would release proposals in the next few weeks for legislation that would increase rents and allow housing authorities to impose work requirements.