She hopes it won’t come to that.

Emma Stone poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Eddington’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)Bono poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Bono: Stories of Surrender’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Bono poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Bono: Stories of Surrender’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)Frank Dillane, left, and Harris Dickinson pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Urchin’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)Frank Dillane, left, and Harris Dickinson pose for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Urchin’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Megan Northam poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Urchin’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)Megan Northam poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Urchin’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Lewis Joly/Invision/AP)

Micheal Ward poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Eddington’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Micheal Ward poses for photographers at the photo call for the film ‘Eddington’ at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)“For a lot of us, there is a question on whether we’ll return to federal service,” she said. “Many of us would like to, and this was what we wanted for our careers, but it’s demoralizing.”

Bianca Nelson, 31, had been working forin the unit she calls the “front door of HUD.” She never planned to leave. On Feb. 14, she got an email that she was terminated, effective immediately.

Nelson and her partner were planning to buy their first home that month — their “dream apartment.” Now, they’ve had to lean on savings to keep them afloat. She called it “gut-wrenching.”She had to forward the termination email to her boss, who had not been told she or others would be fired. Days later, she picked up her belongings, including a bell given to her at a New York City Housing Authority groundbreaking ceremony — a memento representing her love for her work.