Once again, we’ve made it to Friday! That means it’s time to recap the major developments of the past week, and to gear up for what may be in store next.
FY2024 CoC Program Awards
As of the time of this message, we understand that communities are still awaiting award letters for the FY2024 CoC Program funds that were awarded last month. While we remain hopeful for a resolution, we know that your advocacy can and has made a difference.
If you’ve already used the Alliance’s tools to contact your lawmakers, we thank you! If you haven’t yet contacted your members of Congress, please don’t delay.
Please keep reaching out to your representatives in the House urging them to add their signature to Representative Peters’ sign on letter until they do! Only you can ensure that your lawmakers understand the real consequences in their communities if these life-saving funds are further delayed.
Staff Cuts at HUD
As many of you have read in the press, the Trump Administration has indicated they intend to make massive personnel reductions at HUD — at least half of all employees is the reported goal, with the Office of Community Planning and Development (where SNAPS and disaster recovery are housed) proposed for the biggest percentage cut.
We are concerned that such drastic staffing cuts will only worsen America’s homelessness crisis. Without adequate staff to allocate, oversee, and monitor HUD resources, communities and households nationwide will face even more unnecessary delays and challenges accessing congressionally approved funding to respond to homelessness. It will also delay the distribution of resources to address the affordable housing crisis and to help disaster-impacted communities rebuild.
As homelessness has reached an all-time high, now is the time to strengthen, not weaken, federal investments to ensure all Americans have access to safe and affordable housing.
Please Continue Advocating!
Advocacy is the only tool that we have to make sure that our elected officials understand the consequences of harmful operational and policy proposals.
We urge you to reach out to your lawmakers a regular part of your day — be known to your lawmakers and their staff! Right now, they need to hear from you. They need to hear about the impact of delays in FY2024 CoC Program funding, how massive cuts to Medicaid would accelerate homelessness in your community more challenging, and how devastating a 50 percent cut in HUD staff would be to your efforts. We must keep the pressure on!
Follow Along at #NAEH2025
I’m looking forward to catching up with many of you next week in Los Angeles, for the 2025 Innovations and Solutions for Ending Unsheltered Homelessness conference. To put it mildly, it’s been a heck of a year so far, and I personally know that I’ll be energized and restored to connect with you all and to learn about your successes, challenges, and innovations. I hope that all attendees are similarly inspired.
For those who can’t attend, I encourage you to follow along on social media. The Alliance will be streaming the plenary sessions from our Facebook and LinkedIn pages (Wednesday at 1:00 PM, and Thursday and Friday at 11:30 AM, all times Pacific). Even virtually, I hope that everyone can be in community with us. We will continue to monitor the issues we’ve been tracking and as any news breaks, we’ll use the plenary stage and social media in lieu of emails to raise awareness.
As always, we at the Alliance are deeply appreciative of your daily efforts. We hope that you all have a chance to rest this weekend, and we look forward to seeing those of you who will be joining us in LA.
Ann Oliva
CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness