What does the federal government shutdown mean for the built environment?

The federal government shut down when the clock struck midnight on October 1.

Federal employees will be furloughed, or asked to work without pay, and construction projects will be delayed. If the shutdown continues through November, public housing residents could lose access to government benefits.

Until Congress agrees on a spending package for the new fiscal year, museums and national parks will likely close doors to visitors.

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), under Secretary Scott Turner, is pointing fingers. On HUD’s homepage: “The Radical Left in Congress shut down the government”  greets visitors. A similar message is emblazoned on a White House webpage where a graphic of a clock tallies how long the shutdown has been going on for.

Legal experts have already said HUD’s claims are “likely to be a Hatch Act violation,” an 86-year-old law set to limit the political activity of federal employees.

The National Housing Law Project (NHLP), which monitors the Trump administration’s impact on affordable and public housing, is closely watching the shutdown. “HUD is already operating with very reduced staff,” NHLP deputy director Deborah Thorpe told AN. “The shutdown is adding additional uncertainty.”

NHLP, in a statement, said most HUD tenants should not experience disruption thanks to the shutdown but, “If the shutdown lasts past November, your rights might change and you should contact an attorney for updated information.”

“The most important message for federally assisted tenants right now is that their rent should be paid,” Thorpe said.

“This shut down means I can become homeless or my landlord can start eviction procedures against me,” Renette Bradley, a NYCHA Section 8 resident, told AN. “Many others are facing the same trouble.”

AIA Weighs In

The AIA, in a statement, said the “shutdown will additionally impact architects, especially those working on public projects or relying on federal funding in program areas prioritized by AIA, including resiliency, affordable housing, and the environment.”

Architects collaborating with the federal government on affordable housing projects; and with FEMA on disaster response and community recovery initiatives, will have delayed checks and grants.

Housing agencies that depend on federal funds for operations and maintenance for property improvements by architects will be hindered, until the shutdown ends. In its contingency plan, the EPA outlines what agency activities will remain operational, namely emergency and disaster assistance, and Superfund response work.

Precarity at the federal level may likewise hinder access to loans from banks to developers for construction projects, Construction Drive reported. Private clients may be less likely to accept work with the public sector moving forward. Federal construction projects will be frozen temporarily and, in some cases, permanently.

Projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Highway Trust Fund, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration will likely not be impacted, because these have existing fixed-price contracts with appropriated funds.

Smithsonians, the National Gallery of Art, and other museums have contingency plans in place for shutdowns, because they rely on a mix of federal and private funds.

The National Museum of African American History will use prior funds to remain open to the public during the shut down, until October 6.

Memorials, like those dotting the National Mall, are likely to be unaffected, since they are on publicly accessible land.

The most recent government shutdown, prior to this one, lasted December 2018 through January 2019 for 35 days, the longest in history.