State Auditor Julie Blaha Joins Fiscal Leaders to Sound the Alarm on Trump Administration Policies Deepening the Housing Crisis - October 5, 2026

Contact: Nadine Kottom-Dale | 612-391-7000

State Auditor Julie Blaha Joins Fiscal Leaders to Sound the Alarm on Trump Administration Policies Deepening the Housing Crisis

“While attending the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) annual conference, I’m focused on what these national housing challenges mean for Minnesotans. Tariffs are driving up the cost of building homes, while proposed cuts to federal housing programs could further shrink the resources available to Minnesota communities,” said State Auditor Julie Blaha.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. CST, Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha will join For the Long Term for a press call [RSVP HERE] on how President Donald Trump’s administration's tariffs and federal housing program cuts are worsening the nation's housing affordability crisis – and what fiscal stewards are doing to keep affordable housing projects moving forward.

Tariffs on lumber, steel and aluminum are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of every new home. At the same time, proposed cuts to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and existing federal housing programs threaten to pull billions more from the pipeline. State and local fiscal officers are seeing the squeeze first-hand.

On this call, they'll explain what the administration's policies mean for housing costs in their states and counties and share how they're financing affordable housing despite these challenges.

What:

State and Local Fiscal Leaders Sound the Alarm on Trump Administration Policies Deepening the Housing Crisis

 

Who:

  • Julie Blaha, Minnesota State Auditor

  • Mike Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer

  • Sarah Benatar, Coconino County, Arizona Treasurer

  • Angela Webb-Weinberg, Jefferson County, Alabama Treasurer

  • Dave Wallack, Executive Director of For the Long Term

 

When:

Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. CST

 

RSVP:

To attend the press call, RSVP by clicking HERE

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