The government shutdown could jeopardize the housing of more than 500 households in Maine that rely on federal assistance to afford their rent.

Those Mainers are among 70,000 to 85,000 low-income households across the country that could be destabilized within weeks as a result of the shutdown, according to a letter housing advocates issued Tuesday to U.S. congressional leadership.

The advocates’ most pressing concern involves a housing program that largely assists the elderly and people with disabilities, known as Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance. Administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program is distinct from the Section 8 voucher program, which provides assistance directly to renters, and instead contracts with property owners to open their units to low-income families.