The Administration for Community Living, housed in HHS, is shutting down. I spoke to disability experts for @motherjones.com about questions they have for what’s next, the services ACL provides, and how this move may lead to more folks being institutionalized. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/03/rfk-hhs-acl-community-living-shutdown/

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How is any of this Christian?
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This is heartbreaking.
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The fact that there was no indication that this was happening makes the whiplash a bit strong.
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IT SAVES MONEY!

FFS. I am furious. These people. These people.
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Many people may not have heard about the ACL, but if you’re a disabled or aging person who lives outside institutions like nursing homes, you have likely benefited from their work, which includes a lot of grant work to places assisting folks.
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Ty to @jilljacobs.bsky.social of @nacdd.bsky.social (formerly of ACL), @seemiaroll.bsky.social of @americanprogress.bsky.social, and @abarkoff.bsky.social of @gwu1821.bsky.social (formerly of ACL) for speaking with me.
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The Administration for Community Living has not been attacked previously by Project 2025 or Trump (that I can find). That made this news all the more shocking.
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In fact, it was proposed in Project 2025 that part of disability education services would be moved to disability education services.
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I just (finally) subscribed to MJ. Thank you for your reporting.
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Thank you! (Just noting most of my stuff is on the web, so if you don't want to miss that, signing up for our newsletter may be a good idea too).
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I was just looking into what resources I might be able to benefit from there, darn.
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If the ACL is eliminated AND Medicaid (and Medicare) is cut, there will be very few skilled nursing facilities left for the elderly and disabled. Many home care programs will disappear too.
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Why? Why make life more difficult for seniors and persons with disabilities? Why make it more difficult for non profits and other agencies to provide services? Are there plans to privatize this too so unregulated corporations benefit?
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We don't have answers to many, many questions right now. IMO mix of ignorance and evil.
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For the past 20 years I work with seniors and individuals with disabilities who had transportation needs. To watch Trump dismantle programs that have made life easier - but not easy - is infuriating and heartbreaking
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💔 This is going to kill ppl. Please, if you can ppl, go watch “Uncovering Willowbrook” on YouTube so you can see what this monster has in mind.
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Looks like I'm going to lose my job. I will NEVER forgive MAGA supporters, and I'm so pissed off at them for about to take away my job that’d support my multi-disabled client. Those supporters voted hate and fear, and look what’s happening right now.
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I know "cruelty is the point" is a cliche at this point, but this is is pure evil. Fucking eugenicist.
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This is awful. IACC is part of ACL so who knows what will happen to it, but P&A’s are DD Act creations and state level agencies that long predated ACL, so I guess it’s possible they continue. Just housed elsewhere.
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A lot of it is very vague. Some things will be housed elsewhere, but I don't think this administration cares too much about following the law when it comes to continuing to operate what was created under Congress.
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Which is what they want because their rich friends will build the institutions and run them as profit centers. Once again, citizens lose while millionaires and billionaires make more money at their expense.
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ACL also funds Community Care Corps, which funds programs providing volunteer nonmedical assistance to family caregivers, older adults, or persons with disabilities age 18 and older.

I'm (was??) a grant reviewer. Programs are just incredible: https://www.communitycarecorps.org/2025-2026-grantees
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ACL manages https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx, which is the go-to source for finding help.
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Listing all the important things they do could honestly be nearly book length
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How does the good, important, impactful work survive? Just really devastating.
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It’s cruel
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I'm not really sure
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Did they ever reauthorize the Older Americans Act? I have not been able to confirm that. ACL website lists 2020 as the last reauthorization. I keep wondering: What will happen to Area Agencies on Aging?
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Is this lawful? My understanding of UN and many other principles is that we are meant to be saying goodbye to institutions
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If you don't have the supports you need to live independently, you can be coerced into institutions due to lack of options.
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The first people sent to concentration camps were disabled people. That’s where this is headed. Remove every available form of assistance and then when the people have nowhere to go, no money, etc. They can call us either a threat or a nuisance to justify rounding us up and tossing us into a camp.
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As ever, I appreciate your reporting so much.
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Thank you for your kind words.
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Your reporting has been stellar and crucial.
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Thank you!
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