Welcome to another week in the CEO Corner. I hope that this addition to our regular newsletter is helpful in providing our readers with the information you need to navigate the evolving federal — and therefore local — landscape of our work to end homelessness.
And while many of these changes are challenging, I hope that teams doing this work in the field across the nation continue to celebrate wins (which we’ve been calling “glimmers”) when we have them — from getting someone keys to their apartment, to making an outreach connection, to opening a new Permanent Supportive Housing project.
Your work matters to a lot of people. Keep the glimmers coming.
Here are the things we’re tracking this week:
Continuum of Care (CoC) Program Funding
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) field offices began to send out revised FY2024 CoC Program grant agreements last week. It is our understanding that HUD is issuing renewal grant agreements based on timing of operating start date. The new provisions — required of all funding recipients — are vague and confusing in terms of their applicability to CoC Program funding. It is for this reason that the Alliance has advised CoCs and funding recipients to engage legal counsel to receive proper guidance on how to best navigate and understand your legal obligations after executing your FY2024 grant agreement.
If you do not have access to legal counsel, consider reaching out your local American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) chapter or local legal aid organizations, who may be able to provide assistance. While the Alliance cannot provide any legal advice, we are working with other national organizations to identify additional guidance and tools that can be offered to you.
The Alliance continues to track the FY2025 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act and what it means for HUD Homeless Assistance Grants. It remains unclear how decisions will be made regarding cuts in funding, and if HUD intends to honor the 2-year Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) cycle.
Emergency Housing Vouchers
Funding Update
On March 6, HUD issued a notice that they will be releasing all remaining Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) funding in late April, stating that this payment would be made with “the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming.”
This final payment, HUD said, should be enough to cover rent payments for the remainder of 2025 and well into 2026; this is in stark contrast to the payments’ original sunset date in 2030. As of March 19, there are nearly 60,000 people who would be at risk of becoming homeless once this funding is exhausted years earlier than anticipated. While never intended to be a permanent funding source, the wind-down of EHV was supposed to be gradual.
What Providers Can Do
- When the FY2026 budget is being considered, talk to your Members of Congress. Urge them to support increased Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) to include EHVs still in use, so that people do not become homeless.
- Talk to Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) about possible changes to their administrative plans that would allow remaining EHV holders to be issued turnover vouchers, when available.
Efforts to Detain Undocumented People in Homeless Programs
As this administration ramps up efforts to detain individuals who are undocumented, homeless services providers — especially emergency shelter providers — should have a plan for how your staff and organization will respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, should they attempt to gain access to your facility.
We strongly believe that the responsibility of shelter providers is to provide safe shelter to anyone in your community who needs it. Therefore, it is critical that you have a plan in place before ICE officers come to your door — from identifying public vs. nonpublic spaces, to understanding types of warrants, to training staff on how to respond to enforcement actions. You can also help ensure that the people you are assisting know their individual rights if approached by ICE.
The National Homelessness Law Center has developed guidance specifically for homeless services providers in the event of an ICE raid. Please see their toolkit (“ICE Raid Guidance for Homeless Service Providers: What to do Before, During, and After a Raid”) for full details, and their Instagram post for a simplified version.
The Alliance is working with national partners on each of these items to further assess the impact and identify ways to best support communities.
Keep going and know that we are in your corner. Thank you for your tireless work, commitment, and advocacy.
Ann Oliva
CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness
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