Housing advocates in New York state have started sounding the alarm about a proposal in President Donald Trump's wish list for next year's budget they argue, if included, will impact services that assist homeless veterans.

Congress won't put together and negotiate a 2026 budget proposal until later this year, but lawmakers will consider hundreds of requests from the White House that could end up in the final spending plan.

One would consolidate two federal housing programs — Continuum of Care and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS — into a single emergency shelter grant.

Supportive Housing of New York Executive Director Pascale Leone said the proposal could cut over $500 million in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds. 

"The president's budget is still just that — a proposal, but still very dangerous, and that's why we want to call attention to it early," Leone said. "These are cuts that no state can absorb or sustain while we've had considerable progress here in New York state in support of housing, also in the recent budgets both in the state and the city, there's no way we can absorb the impact of these federal cuts if they're passed as proposed."

The state receives hundreds of millions of dollars in the Continuum of Care program each year for rental assistance and housing opportunities — especially for veterans.

More than 7,400 formerly homeless veterans in the state have been connected to supportive housing units through programs like this, according to Supportive Housing of New York.

Leone said the program has helped the state's population of homeless veterans go from 16% to 1% in the last 15 years, and cuts will reverse that progress. 

"Now is not the time to disinvest in things that work," Leone said. "We don't take away umbrellas when it's raining."

State leaders continue to caution the state could receive even less federal aid than was cut in the latest spending package after Congress deals with its final budget bill later this fall.

The proposal has also caught the attention of some House Democrats.

Hudson Valley Congressman Pat Ryan is a Bronze Star recipient who served two combat tours in Iraq. He wrote a letter to Trump last week asking the administration remove the budget proposal from its wish list. 

"I write to express my outrage regarding your plan to gut permanent supportive housing programs for homeless veterans and other vulnerable Americans," Ryan wrote to the president last week. "Your proposals will have an immediate and devastating impact on those who have served our country honorably. I strongly urge you to revoke your plans to cut housing assistance and commit to supporting veterans who face homelessness."

Ryan told Spectrum News 1 that Republicans' focus on eliminating wasteful spending should not include programs that reduce homelessness and help the government be more efficient.

"If you think that putting a roof over the head of a veteran that risks their life for our country is waste, fraud or abuse, then I don't know how to reason with you," Ryan said. "That is not what the American people want or believe. When I talk to my constituents, they want everybody to have a home they can live in with dignity, but especially our veterans."

Several Republicans in Congress say advocates and Democrats are unfairly creating fear about a budget proposal that doesn't exist yet. 

"Congressman Lawler has long been committed to ensuring that our veterans receive the support and respect they’ve earned," said Ciro Riccardi, a spokesperson for Lawler, who is considering a run for governor. "He also believes that America faces a massive housing shortage, with the country being nearly 7.5 million units under built. That’s exactly why Congressman Lawler has been calling for a comprehensive study and supply-side housing plan, making it one of his top priorities for the upcoming appropriations process. The congressman will continue fighting to protect our veterans and their benefits, and to build more housing to address the housing crisis.”

A spokesperson with Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who is exploring a run for governor, said Wednesday there are no official suggestions or proposals to cut funding for veterans' homeless.

“For far-left Rep. Pat Ryan to shamelessly and baselessly fear-monger is even beneath his disgraceful tenure in office," Stefanik's Senior Advisor Alex DeGrasse said. "He is a lapdog for disgraced former President Joe Biden and the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul, who prioritized illegals over veterans.”