Area Mayors, Anti-Poverty Heads and Health Leaders Condemn Federal Threats to Aid

(Additional photographs below.)

The mere threat of losing federal aid has already caused casualties say the mayors of Haverhill and Methuen, the leader of a community health center serving three cities and the heads of two regional Community Action agencies.

Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett, Methuen Mayor David P. “D.J.” Beauregard Jr., Greater Lawrence Community Action Council Executive Director and CEO Vilma Martinez-Dominguez, Community Action CEO Kerri Perry and Greater Lawrence Family Health Center Interim President and CEO Steven Paris joined Congresswoman Lori Trahan Thursday at Greater Lawrence Community Action Council. Barrett noted there was an immediate loss caused just by the notice of a federal freeze.

“Given the instability caused this week, we paused putting out a bid for a CDBG project to add an emergency electrical generator at the Sacred Hearts Food Pantry, which would provide resiliency for power outages and natural disasters and preserve thousands of dollars’ worth of food,” she explained.

The Haverhill mayor said she was “stunned” to receive word of the federal aid freeze, noting Haverhill annually receives around $1 million in federal Community Development Block Grants, which help pay for housing the homeless, stocking food pantries and providing heating assistance, elder programs, meals, clothing, home rehabilitation and first-time homebuyer programs. She also pointed to $4.1 million to hire 16 additional firefighters, $2.4 million for de-leading homes, $1 million for urban forestry, $1 million for safe streets, millions in low-income and special education money for schools.

Trahan summarized the fear brought on by Tuesday’s order from White House’s White House Office of Management and Budget.

“So many people woke up on Tuesday unsure if their SNAP benefits were going to be there for them to go to the grocery store, if their rental assistance would be there to make their monthly rent payment or if they were going to be able to access their health care. As the day went on, the dire consequences of Donald Trump’s actions continued,” she said.

Methuen’s Beauregard highlighted federal money for seniors, veterans, families, school lunches, combatting the mental health crisis, noting Washington has made clear what it ultimately intends to cut.

“Although the administration in Washington has since pulled back their initial order to freeze federal grant and loan programs—for now—it shows that these programs that Methuen residents count on are viewed by some as expendable,” he said.

Although the White House initially said Medicaid was not one of the programs to be frozen, Trahan explained, the state’s MassHealth program was locked out of accessing up to $40 million from a federal portal. Similarly, she said, Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, with primary care offices in Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence, was locked out of its federal portal.

Paris said the health center serves 68,000 patients, but even the threat of a change means the center “goes from providing excellent health care on a regular basis and you very quickly drop to nothing.” He added federal directives also places a “chill” on patients and employees alike who fear immigration rulings.

Trahan credited local outcry for leading to a judge’s halt to the order and the White House rescinding its action. “Now, this was a massive victory—one that I credit entirely to the folks on the ground who saw what was happening, knew how cruel this decision was spoke out.”

Martinez-Dominguez noted community action agencies actually help save taxpayer dollars by helping parents stay employed by providing affordable child care, preventing people from becoming homeless and connecting people to the “benefits and opportunities” they need. She noted her agency helps 20,000 households and even a brief pause in federal aid will force people to be turned away.