A waiting list of more than 2,880 Colorado Springs households seeking federally subsidized Section 8 housing vouchers is not shrinking, nor is it growing.

Two months ago, the Colorado Springs Housing Authority paused new issuance of processing applications from the list as units open up, said Chad Wright, executive director of the independent agency.

“With what’s going on with the federal budget — we didn’t have a 2025 federal budget until last month through a continuing resolution — we’re trying to balance the spending in the program vs. the funding that’s available from HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development),” he said. “There could be funding reductions; it’s an uncertain and volatile time, and we want to be cautious.”

The 1,741 indigent and low-income households that currently receive vouchers to offset a portion of rent costs are not being affected by the local authority’s decision to halt issuance of new vouchers, Wright said.

“The pause on the issuance of new vouchers hopefully will be for a short period,” he said. “Right now, we don’t know the balance of funding for 2025.”

Many federal agencies are in limbo as the Trump administration works on its plan to cut federal government spending to reduce the 2024 budget deficit of $1.8 trillion and balance the nation’s budget.

But Wright considers his agency already to be “severely underfunded,” saying demand far outpaces its ability to provide enough vouchers for everyone who qualifies.

Last year, the Colorado Springs Housing Authority — which administers HUD housing vouchers and also owns about 1,600 Section 8 units in town ranging from single-family homes to duplexes to apartment complexes — was awarded about $21 million from HUD for administering and operating the voucher program locally, according to Wright.

The number of names on the waiting list that’s nearing 3,000 households speaks to the need, he said.

However, it’s not unusual for the list to be that long, Wright added. “It’s been fairly consistent for the last couple of years.”

At this time, people can receive vouchers indefinitely.

Another uncertainty is what will happen during the annual open-application period in July, when new people can sign up to be placed on the waiting list.

Beth Roalstad, CEO of Homeward Pikes Peak, a nonprofit that provides housing and programs for people exiting homelessness, seeking addiction recovery or addressing mental illness, said there’s always a rush of applicants when the window opens.

“People desperately need affordable housing,” she said. “It’s a big concern; I think this is the first indication that our community will be impacted by federal cuts to a vast array of safety-net services.”

Homeward Pikes Peak also is waiting to hear about the status of its HUD funding, valued at $1.7 million for supportive services and housing assistance programs the organization provides for 105 households, or about 150 people, Roalstad said.

The federal funding usually kicks in July 1.

“This is delayed for us — normally we would have had our contracts by now,” she said. “I think this is the canary in the coal mine that HUD has informed the housing authority months in advance that something might be coming, and hopefully we’re able to maintain these vital programs. It’s been a very nerve-wracking time for us.”