Affordable housing developers are taking action amid Fed rollbacks

One of the overarching themes of 2025 is the dramatic federal rollback of funding for the much-needed basics that Americans depend on, including housing, health care and food.

Changes in eligibility, funding structures, and work mandates translate into cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps. The FY 2026 budget proposal aims to reduce housing funding and rental assistance programs such as Housing Choice Vouchers. Additionally, changes to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and public health agencies will leave millions uninsured.

As the federal government steps back, some housing developers are stepping up. They work with local governments, nonprofits and private entities to do more than provide safe and affordable housing. They also help their residents access necessities such as food, basic healthcare and vocational training. They prove that while housing is fundamental to quality of life, it can also be a springboard for community revitalization and a powerful mechanism to address structural inequality.

Social services

Among these developers is New York City-based Fairstead, a national real estate company with 25,000 affordable housing units across 28 states.

In partnership with the Alexandria (Va.) Redevelopment and Housing Authority and The Communities Group, the company is redeveloping the city’s Samuel Madden Homes, a public housing project built in the mid-1940s to house African-American defense workers in the city’s Uptown enclave. The multi-block project will provide 207 affordable units. On the ground floor, retail space is anchored by non-profit partner ALIVE! and will provide food and additional services to the Old Town Alexandria enclave.

Another developer undertaking similar efforts is San Rafael, California-based EAH Housing, whose slogan, “A roof is just the beginning,” speaks volumes about its mission. The 57-year-old company develops affordable housing, manages more than 240 communities in Hawaii and California, and leads housing advocacy at the national, regional and local levels. The company’s housing services serve 25,000 seniors, families, veterans, students, people with special needs and those previously unhoused. EAH Housing supplements its affordable housing with much-needed supportive resident services. They include digital literacy education, scholarship opportunities and the StayWell program, which covers healthy eating, active living, community building, physical and mental health, education and technology and community engagement.

Overcoming obstacles

Fairstead steps up as others take a step back due to patchy public initiatives, outdated infrastructure and disappointing funding. The company is tackling these barriers head-on, identifying creative financing ideas and forging partnerships to build programs that improve residents’ quality of life, said Jeffrey Goldberg, CEO of Fairstead.

“And we do it without passing the cost on to our communities,” he adds. “We build communities where access to food, health care and economic opportunity is not a privilege, but the standard. For example, in our Samuel Madden community in Alexandria, we are partnering with the nonprofit ALIVE! to build an on-site food and social services hub. This kind of collaboration lets us go beyond housing, opening doors to a brighter economic future and stronger community resilience.”

Laura Hall, CEO of EAH Housing, believes that truly resilient communities are built not just on shelter, but also on opportunity, stability and dignity. Affordable housing is viewed through a broader lens, including food security, access to health care, and workforce development support directly within the communities EAH serves.

“At EAH, we are exploring new models and working more closely with organizations that are focused on their mission, including organizations that are less vulnerable to government budget cycles,” says Hall.

“We believe that unlocking community resilience in the years ahead will depend not only on policy, but also on innovation, collaboration and new forms of investment in human resources.”