Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township has filed a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s overhaul of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Program which supports individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
The lawsuit was filed by a coalition led by Washington and includes New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, according to a notice from Shapiro’s office.
“For decades, these housing programs have helped vulnerable people — families, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and LGTBQ+ Pennsylvanians — have access to safe, affordable housing,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Now, the Trump Administration is trying to abruptly dismantle the very system Congress created to fight homelessness. Pennsylvanians depend on this funding and the Trump Administration’s decision will force people out of their homes, defund organizations doing critical work, and leave state taxpayers on the hook. I’m taking action to ensure the federal government keeps its promise — because no Pennsylvanian should be thrown back into homelessness because of political games in Washington.”
From the notice:
HUD’s new policies threaten to cancel thousands of existing housing programs in Pennsylvania and coerce nonprofits and local governments into unlawful, discriminatory practices. Last year alone, Pennsylvania received $177 million in CoC funding to support permanent housing, rental assistance, and supportive services that keep vulnerable Pennsylvanians safely housed.
Permanent housing support has been reliably demonstrated to be the most important tool for addressing homelessness. For years, the CoC Program has awarded renewable, annual funding, with the vast majority of funds dedicated to permanent housing programs.
The CoC Program awards funding on an annual basis, with the majority dedicated to renewing permanent housing programs.According to a National Alliance to End Homelessness report, the Your Way Home Montgomery County’s Continuum of Care, which includes “Lower Merion, Norristown, Abington/Montgomery County CoC,” could stand to lose a seven-figure sum in grant funds, projecting upwards of $3,142,563.
The lawsuit is below:
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