Housing officials gathered Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Palatka. From left are Ben Hobbs, assistant secretary of public and Indian housing for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development; Alesia Scott-Ford, HUD field office director; and Casey "Oche" Bridgeford, CEO of the Palatka Housing Authority. | Elizabeth Caldwell, Jacksonville Today
Published on July 15, 2026 at 5:57 pm
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Housing authorities across the state of Florida are learning more about proposed restrictions on aid suggested by President Donald Trump’s administration.
On Wednesday, representatives from urban authorities like Bradenton and Gainesville gathered in Palatka with more rural colleagues to hear from the feds about possible new rules for able-bodied tenants.
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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is suggesting communities adopt a work requirement of up to 40 hours per week and/or limit assistance to as little as two years. Current rules vary by location. In Jacksonville, nonexempt adults in public housing are required to perform eight hours of community service.
Jacksonville Today previously reported the city of Jacksonville is already notifying residents of possible work requirements, even though HUD’s initiative is voluntary and likely to face legal challenges.
Former Heritage Foundation fellow and retail association executive Ben Hobbs, now an assistant HUD secretary, led the discussion people attending in Palatka. In his intro, he said the nearly 50% of tenants that reported no wage income in 2024 are at risk of shorter lives because employment is linked to longevity.
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“Our programs are literally killing people,” Hobbs said, going on to say work requirements are important in global politics. “If we want to compete with China, we need everyone to help pull the wagon.”
Much of the following discussion was focused on changing how tenants think about work and independence.
“We may need to hire psychologists, therapists or whatever,” said Alesia Scott-Ford, HUD field office director. “Part of it is just convincing them this is a good thing.”
Housing directors from around Florida voiced the need for education prior to any changes. Tamara Berry Andrews, executive director of the Tallahassee Housing Authority, said residents are often afraid when initiatives haven’t been communicated clearly.
“My biggest thing is, just educate the residents before we implement anything,” said Berry Andrews.
Others focused on the need to have HUD lay out guidance. William Russell, head of Sarasota’s agency, said his authority would “definitely” be adopting some requirements, but he questioned how many hours of work should be mandated.
“I know this varies based on your economy and local stuff, but I’m not sure where to set the minimum hours,” Russell said.
The timeline for the approval of HUD’s proposed changes is unclear.
