The last three decades of housing policy that targeted programs for the poor, resulted in the low-income housing program suffering the largest federal cutbacks compared to almost any other program. In contrast, housing benefits for middle class and rich were spared indeed expanded. Historically, political support for New Deal spending programs was built by targeting them broadly not narrowly and giving millions of middle-class voters reasons to support programs that were helpful to them but vital to the poor. Historically, programs targeted only for the poor lacked broad support. They become even less popular when targeted for the black poor.
Public housing is a good example.
Public housing isolated and concentrated the poor, stigmatizing them, resulting in poor administration and underfunding. Other programs such as the low income housing tax credit, HOME and CDBG formulas that require targeting federal housing funds to the very poor do not help build broad support. Most importantly, meeting housing needs of the working class with these programs paved the way for Truman and others to push for housing programs for the poor in the cities. Beginning in the 1960s and accelerating in the 1970s and 1980s, federal housing policy changed course. Housing programs typically meant low-income housing for the very poor public housing, Section 8 development, rent vouchers, etc.