Trump administration ends support for disabled Americans facing homelessness

The Trump administration has quietly ended support for a program that helped poor people access federal disability benefits — and prevented homelessness.Why it matters: The cutback, enacted in August but little noticed at the time, is the latest in a series of hits to the poorest Americans from the administration.How it works: The federal funds supported training for SOAR, which stands for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Outreach, Access and Recovery.SOAR-trained caseworkers help qualifying Americans apply for a few things, primarily SSI), a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to people who are very poor and unable to work — typically because they're disabled.Last year, SOAR-trained caseworkers helped about 3,000 people access benefits to pay for housing and treatment, according to data from Policy Research Associates (PRA), a private organization that offers similar training.Getting on to SSI also clears a path for access to other supports that keep people from being homeless — like Medicaid and SNAP, or food assistance.Where it stands: Without the money, the onus for this work is on the states — similar to what is expected to happen with cuts to SNAP and Medicaid as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Many states can't afford to take it on.Zoom in: The funding for the national program was about $2.6 million a year, according to PRA data.It helped keep people from becoming homeless. The program is generally seen as very effective — Veterans Affairs recommends this training in some cases."We're talking about assisting the most vulnerable folks in the country; the cost was not much compared to the complexity and need," says Yvonne Perret, who first developed the model for SOAR in the 1990s in Maryland and continues to do training in that state.The other side: The Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged that the SOAR contract ended on Aug. 18, but noted that it never provided direct funding for state-level programs."While this initiative provided valuable technical assistance and training to SOAR providers across states and territories, it did not include direct federal funding to state-level programs, which have been sustained through state-based resources," an HHS spokesperson told Axios in an email."This transition provides states and organizations the flexibility to tailor support based on their evolving needs, while continuing to advance the mission of connecting eligible individuals with critical disability benefits."Between the lines: Applying for SSI is a complex paperwork maze, particularly challenging for a population without resources like a stable address and with mental health issues. Without help, these people have a very low chance of being approved, says the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which surfaced the funding change in a report on Monday.The approval rate for applicants who get an assist from SOAR is 65%, double the national average for those who don't get assistance, per a report last month.Staffing cuts at Social Security have also made it harder for the disabled to tap benefits this year, as Axios reported recently.The bottom line: Cutting money on this training won't necessarily save money down the line, Perret says. Often the homeless population winds up in jail, as cities criminalize the unhoused population, which is an expense, she points out. "There's a cost no matter what."This story has been updated with additional details.

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