The protest, convened by VOCAL-TX with the Texas Coalition for Tenant Justice, drew attention to the more than 9 million people who may become homeless nationwide if the HUD cuts to housing vouchers, which are planned as part of Republicans’ 2026 budget, take effect.
“There are millions of disabled people in this country that depend on those housing vouchers,” said VOCAL-TX leader Barry Jones, speaking with CBS Austin. “They depend on these vouchers for their housing, and if they cut these, those people are just gonna wind up in the street.”
In Texas alone, 593,312 people risk becoming homeless because of the cuts, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
“If I didn’t have a voucher, I would be homeless,” said Austin resident and VOCAL-TX leader Laura Ann Martinez. “I don’t want to be homeless again because sleeping under my wheelchair with my dog is not fun.”
VOCAL-TX, which was recently described as “making waves at City Hall” by local news station KXAN, organized the protest as part of a national week of action to draw attention to the housing cuts, which also included events in New York, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio and Nevada.
