January 17, 2025, Washington, D.C. – The National Alliance to End Homelessness today applauds the release of $3.6 billion in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants to support community efforts to end homelessness.
These funds are made available through HUD’s annual Continuum of Care Program Competition, the federal government’s largest source of grant funding for homeless services. The awards announced today represent the largest amount of funding in history under the Continuum of Care Program, providing critical resources to approximately 7,000 homeless services projects throughout the country. Given HUD’s extended application deadlines for disaster-impacted areas, these funds represent the first of two FY 2024 Continuum of Care award announcements.
“We all want to live in a nation where every person in our communities can thrive. But we will never realize this vision until we end homelessness in this country,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The resources announced today will support the life-saving work of front-line providers to support those experiencing homelessness in communities all across the country.”
“These federal funds are essential for providers to keep up with the record-high number of people becoming homeless for the first time: roughly 19,000 people per week. We are seeing more and more people forced into homelessness because of the affordable housing crisis and woefully insufficient social safety net.”
Recognizing this critical work, HUD is also implementing two key changes to support homeless services staff and improve service delivery. The first is a first-of-its kind cost of living adjustment for homeless services staff, aiming to improve overall service delivery for people experiencing homelessness.
This award announcement also represents year one of the unprecedented two-year Notice of Funding Opportunity cycle, which will allow Continuums of Care greater focus on implementing evidence-based and equitable homelessness strategies.
HUD’s announcement comes at a time when communities across the country are grappling with a severe housing affordability crisis and rising levels of homelessness that disproportionately impact marginalized people. It also coincides with an increasing appetite among state and local leaders for carceral approaches to homelessness: tactics that are both outdated and proven to fail.
The Alliance commends HUD for its continued efforts to address the needs of the most vulnerable people in our country. As communities begin implementing these resources, the Alliance urges Congressional leaders to sustain and build upon them.
“Now more than ever, we need lawmakers to do three things: recognize the urgency of this moment; realize the consequences of not fully supporting this work to the needed scale; and commit to the robust, ongoing funding that our communities depend upon,” said Oliva.
About the National Alliance to End Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonprofit, non-partisan, organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. As a leading voice on the issue of homelessness, the Alliance analyzes policy and develops pragmatic, cost-effective policy solutions; works collaboratively with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build state and local capacity; and provides data and research to policymakers and elected officials in order to inform policy debates and educate the public and opinion leaders nationwide.