Leila Faldin

But that whiplash, she says, really broke people's trust.

And the hits just kept coming.

There were more funding cuts or policies.

pauses, sometimes reversals after legal action.

The White House even proposed ending the block grant that funds these groups directly, even though they have had long had bipartisan support.

And at this point, Hattis says their biggest challenge is just sheer uncertainty, having no idea what might be targeted next.

What has the Trump administration said about why it's doing this?

So in a statement to NPR, the Office of Management and Budget said these anti-poverty programs fund, quote, radically partisan activities.

It cited teaching toddlers to be anti-racist and using clean energy for environmental justice.

It said President Trump ran on fiscal responsibility and ending wasteful DEI spending.

Have these anti-poverty groups been able to keep operating through all of this funding turmoil?

Mostly, yes, they have.

Hattis says the states really helped shift funding around to fill these gaps.

But they've definitely had to pull back on some things, including plans to create a badly needed homeless shelter in Ohio.

They're also losing staff who've gotten nervous about job cuts, and they have had to lay people off or cut back on their hours.

And that includes Kelsey Sexton.

She manages the front desk at HapCap.

You know, these layoffs can be an extra blow in rural areas like this without a lot of other jobs.

These anti-poverty groups are a real driver for some local economies.

Looking ahead, do we have any sense of whether this is over?