Housing advocates are raising the alarm about House Republicans’ plan to dramatically cut the federal deficit to raise the debt ceiling, warning rental aid would be stripped from hundreds of thousands of struggling families who could face eviction and possible homelessness at a time when rents remain high.

House Republicans narrowly passed a sweeping measure last month that would roll back non-defense spending to 2022 levels — a proposal the National Low Income Housing Coalition said would slash housing and homelessness programs by 23%, a significant blow to the Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program that around 2.3 million families rely on to cover rent.

“House Republicans’ plan would have drastic negative impacts on communities’ abilities to address homelessness and the housing crisis,” Diane Yentel, the coalition’s CEO and president, told The Associated Press. “If these proposals were enacted, it would mean communities would have to take away housing assistance from people who already have it, and need it.”