On
Monday,
a
group
including
the

National
Low
Income
Housing
Coalition
(NLIHC),

National
Alliance
to
End
Homelessness
and
local
governments
of
San
Francisco,
Boston
and
Nashville,
Tenn.,
filed
a

complaint
in
federal
court
against
HUD
and
Secretary
Scott
Turner.

“HUD’s
proposed
Continuum
of
Care
Program
(Notice
of
Funding
Opportunity)
represents
a
destructive
departure
from
decades
of
homelessness
policy
and
will
put
an
estimated
170,000
additional
households
into
homelessness,”
said
NLIHC
President
and
CEO
Renee
Willis.
“These
actions
will
destabilize
communities
across
the
country.
CoC
funding
must
prioritize
evidence-based
housing
practices,
housing
stability
and
local
decision-making
rather
than
undermine
them.

“The
harm
to
families
and
individuals
who
rely
on
these
programs
will
be
irreversible
and
felt
for
generations
to
come.
Federal
policy
should
fuel
stability
—
not
contradict
it.”

HUD
wants
increased
accountability

According
to
a
statement
from
HUD,
the
administration
believes
this
approach
will
increase
accountability
and
encourage
independence
—
targeting
what
it
perceives
to
be
the
underlying
drivers
of

homelessness.

The
plan
redirects
CoC
resources
toward
short-term
shelters
that
tie
participation
to
employment
and
substance-abuse
treatment.

Opponents
have
warned
it
will
dramatically
reduce
permanent
supportive
housing
funding
and
disrupt
services
nationwide.

Turner
announced
$3.9
billion
in
competitive
grant
funding
for
the
CoC
program.

The
CoC
program
is
the
largest
source
of
federal
funding
for
homelessness
assistance
—
with
an
annual
budget
of
about
$3.5
billion.

CoC
serves
more
than
750,000
people
experiencing
homelessness
each
year,
including
older
adults,
people
with
disabilities,
veterans
and
families
with
children.