Dear System Leaders and Service Providers,
As I am sure you all know, this week, the Trump Administration issued dozens of Executive Orders and administrative actions. During these times, it is vitally important that you all have accurate information on how these actions will impact – directly and indirectly – our work to end homelessness in the United States.
We know homeless service providers across the nation are dedicated to meeting the needs of all people experiencing homelessness in their communities. We also know that several of the executive actions – if implemented – threaten to undermine your work and threaten the wellbeing of a workforce under extraordinary strain.
We encourage our partners to continue to operate the evidence-based, human centered approaches to serve people experiencing homelessness in their communities. The work you are doing on the ground is more important than ever as we face challenges like wildfires, extreme cold, and economic conditions that include sky-high rents and wages that can’t keep up with the cost of living.
Orders and Actions
The Alliance is working to anchor real solutions to the challenges we face and provide resources to help communities navigate the current environment. We are also tracking actions taken by the administration this week and in the coming months that, if implemented, would worsen homelessness and deepen existing disparities. Below are recent orders that may impact program operations.
- Increasing immigration enforcement. The administration rescinded guidelines that prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from arresting undocumented people in “sensitive” areas. By stepping up enforcement in these areas, the administration is cruelly denying safety and creating fear among immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children. This action may deter some populations from seeking critical assistance when they need help the most.
- Pulling back civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people. Denying fair housing and civil rights protections to LBGTQ+ individuals will lead to harm and more people experiencing homelessness. Specifically, the order directing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to conduct rulemaking that rescinds the “Equal Access in Accordance with an Individual’s Gender Identity in Community Planning and Development Programs” rule will only worsen the shocking disparities and vulnerabilities in unsheltered homelessness among transgender and non-binary people.
- Undermining the federal government’s commitments to correcting racial and social inequities. The actions taken this week seek to dismantle all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices and policies across the federal government. This includes initiatives focused on enforcing fair housing and civil rights laws, and equity-focused policies built into federal contracts and grants. This will result not only in the elimination of positions dedicated to this function, but also of funding for training and assistance on these matters. These actions will halt progress on addressing historic and ongoing systemic racism and discrimination and worsen disparities for those already most impacted by homelessness.
- Undermining state and local efforts to address housing and homelessness. Preventing sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving critical federal investments could be used to deny states and localities access to federal housing and homelessness resources.
- Weakening the ability of federal agencies to administer programs and investments that support the most vulnerable households. Career staff across the federal government are committed to public service and have deep-subject matter expertise. Efforts to downsize the federal workforce—including a hiring freeze— will slow down the ability of agencies to get life-saving resources to the organizations and people that rely on them.
What You Can Do
Communities should continue to do the important work of providing critical housing, shelter, and services to people experiencing homelessness. The following resources may be useful in determining the path forward for now.
- Providers should become familiar with their rights, and the rights of the people they serve, as related to immigration enforcement actions that may take place at programs. https://www.nilc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01.20-Protected-Areas-Explainer.pdf
- Most communities already have protocols in place to serve people with dignity and according to their gender identity and family composition. Until HUD issues a different rule, the Equal Access Rule remains in place. Technical assistance resources can be found here: https://endhomelessness.org/resource/a-conversation-about-the-equal-access-rule-and-why-it-matters-webinar/
- Continuum of Care leaders should continue to implement and sustain equity practices within their systems – including data analysis, human-centered policy and program design, and equitable hiring practices. CoC leaders should also continue to partner authentically with people with lived experience of homelessness, including through hiring and Board/leadership development opportunities. Guidance can be found here: https://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/REN-Action-Steps-final.pdf
It is important to note that not all Executive Orders result in immediate action, and many will likely be challenged in courts. Nonetheless, the Alliance urges state and local policy makers to consider legislation that would mitigate the harm created by these actions to protect the human and civil rights of people at risk of and who are experiencing homelessness.
The Alliance will continue to monitor this process and point to existing resources as necessary. We are deeply grateful for your life-saving work during this time.
Sincerely,
Ann Oliva
CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness