Providence, R.I. – A broad coalition of local governments and nonprofit organizations is taking legal action to stop the Trump-Vance administration from creating unlawful and unreasonable restrictions that seek to shift funding away from proven solutions to homelessness, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, threatening to push hundreds of thousands of people onto the street as cold winter months arrive. 

Quotes from plaintiffs and co-counsel are below. 

PLAINTIFFS 

Non-Profit Organizations 

National Alliance to End Homelessness

“HUD’s 2025 CoC Program Competition NOFO represents a reckless and illegal leap backwards for homeless response in the United States. There is no doubt that it will cause homelessness to rise across this nation,” said Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “At a time when we should all be focused on scaling up and improving our most effective programs, this administration is instead focused on tearing them down. These sudden decisions will cause programs to be totally defunded or go without federal funds for at least five months, and likely longer. It is stunningly unaccountable administration of this critical grant program.”

National Low Income Housing Coalition  

“HUD’s proposed Continuum of Care Program NOFO represents a destructive departure from decades of homelessness policy and will put an estimated 170,000 people into homelessness. These actions will destabilize communities across the country,” said NLIHC President and CEO Renee M. Willis. “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.”

Crossroads Rhode Island 

“Crossroads Rhode Island is proud to stand with housing leaders from across the country to protect the permanent housing and rapid rehousing programs that have helped hundreds of thousands of people nationwide rebuild their lives,” said Michelle Wilcox, President & CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island. “The new HUD rules put people and communities in all 50 states at risk. By reducing access to housing, the only proven solution for ending homelessness, the new HUD rules will have serious consequences, increasing homelessness and overwhelming shelters, hospitals, and other critical community services. Our goal is simple: to protect the programs that keep families and vulnerable individuals safely housed and ensure that permanent housing initiatives remain accessible in every state in America.”

Youth Pride, Inc

“Unhoused and housing-insecure youth are one of the most vulnerable populations in our communities. These changes to HUD’s rapid rehousing program will leave more youth susceptible to exploitation and dangerous conditions and do nothing to make communities safer for anyone. It’s incomprehensible that any administration can justify or endorse changes that leave young adults unhoused, diminishing their chances of completing college, finding long term housing, and risking their physical and mental health in the process. It is already nearly impossible for an adult to make a living wage and afford rent, considering that at minimum wage, one earns $34,000 a year, which is well below the $48,000 needed to afford an apartment in Rhode Island. Our government will not support a livable minimum wage while simultaneously pulling funding for housing programs. One has to wonder what they believe will happen to these young people under these circumstances,” said Rush Frazier, Executive Director of Youth Pride Inc.

Municipalities 

Santa Clara County, Calif.

“HUD’s new grant rules would effectively defund permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing programs across the nation, eliminating proven tools that help residents exit homelessness sustainably,” said Santa Clara County Counsel Tony LoPresti. “This is another instance of the Trump Administration prioritizing its political agenda above the needs of our most vulnerable community members. We’re proud to be part of a broad national coalition that is standing up for data-driven solutions.”

San Francisco, Calif. 

“HUD’s Continuum of Care program provides tens of millions in funding to house thousands of our most vulnerable,” said San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu. “HUD’s decision to defund permanent homeless housing, which San Francisco has relied on for decades, will push our most vulnerable citizens out of their homes without a place to go. We will continue to oppose these efforts and stand up in court for San Francisco’s values, funding, and communities.”

Boston, Mass. 

“Permanent supportive housing has been a key to tackling homelessness and keeping Bostonians stable and safe in our community. The Trump Administration’s harmful changes to this longstanding program could leave more than 1,100 Bostonians homeless. It’s thanks to the funding from the Continuum of Care program and our nearly 20 partner organizations that we have been able to support so many adults and children, individuals with substance use and mental health disorders, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and survivors of domestic violence to be on pathways to stability through this specialized housing with direct connections to health care, counseling, and other supportive services. I’m grateful to all the jurisdictions joining us in this lawsuit to challenge these detrimental new requirements,” said Mayor Michelle Wu.

Cambridge, Mass. 

“These changes threaten not only the stability of our residents, but the integrity of a proven, data-driven system that helps people off the streets and into positions where they can succeed long-term,” said Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the resources that allow our most vulnerable neighbors to live with dignity, while accessing essential care, and building lasting stability. Cambridge will continue to stand with our local, regional, and national partners to defend these life-saving supports and ensure that compassion, evidence, and common sense—not politics—guide our housing policies.”

Nashville, Tenn.

“This reversal in established policy that dates back to President George W. Bush is contrary to law and cruel. Almost 1,000 people in Nashville face the possibility of being evicted, hundreds in the middle of winter. The Trump administration is taking a wrecking ball to a system that works; evidence shows that a housing first policy has reduced the number of people experiencing homelessness by significant percentages.  Over the past three years, we have reduced the mortality rate in this vulnerable population by 45 percent. The immediate impact on people and nonprofits in Nashville will be devastating,” said Wally Dietz, Director of Law for Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. 

King County, Wash.

“King County is proud to join this lawsuit to protect these critical resources and keep people housed, safe and stable. King County and Seattle were among the first local governments in the country to invest in and implement permanent supportive housing, which has demonstrated proven results in housing our neighbors experiencing chronic homelessness, including people with disabilities, veterans, and families. Permanent supportive housing is a critical asset and a key part of the solution to effectively address homelessness in King County. For decades, investments from the federal government have helped thousands of our neighbors transition into permanent housing. The Administration’s new grant conditions will have devastating impacts on our communities and roll back years of progress to bring housing stability to the region. In the short term, more than 4,500 households could lose stable housing or other supports, and thousands more in the future will never receive support at all. These punitive actions from the Administration will quickly increase unsheltered homelessness in our region, and people will suffer,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.

CO-COUNSEL 

Democracy Forward

“As President Trump continues to weaponize the federal government against the American people it is meant to serve, we will continue to build the coalitions to meet them — and beat them — in court,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “This unlawful action by the Trump-Vance administration threatens to push hundreds of thousands of people out of housing and back to the streets. Democracy Forward is honored to work with this broad coalition that is doing the necessary work of getting people experiencing homelessness into housing, in spite of the insidious efforts by their President to undermine their programs.” 

National Homelessness Law Center

“The Trump administration’s actions do nothing to address the leading cause of homelessness- the fact that more and more people can’t afford rent. Instead, the federal government’s ideological changes will force as many as 170,000 people who are now stably housed back into homelessness,” said Antonia Fasanelli, Executive Director of the National Homelessness Law Center. She continued,” Most of the people in these homes are elderly or have disabilities. Some are youth with no family support, and families with young children.  With this housing, people were able to get their lives back on track from the safety and stability of their own home.  These drastic policy shifts direct funding to cities that impose anti-trans, anti-homeless, and anti-immigrant policies and will force hundreds of thousands of people back into homelessness. The National Homelessness Law Center is honored to represent the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the National Low Income Housing Coalition in this case. We will continue to fight for housing justice and ensure that everybody has the housing they need to thrive.”

Public Rights Project

“Cities are again being forced to sue the federal government to protect their communities. This time they’re fighting a cruel, illegal, last-minute rule that would push hundreds of thousands of families onto the street as winter arrives,” said Jill Habig, Founder and CEO of Public Rights Project. “We’re proud to stand with them to defend the $4 billion that helps veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities stay housed.”

ACLU Foundation of Rhode Island

“Once again, the Trump administration has turned a critical government funding program on its head, undermining rather than promoting the essential social services the program was designed to provide,” said Steven Brown, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island. “We are pleased to work with this broad coalition to seek judicial relief that will allow nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island and across the country to continue to address the nation’s vital housing needs as Congress envisioned.”

Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island

“The Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island will continue to fight for Rhode Islanders whenever and however the Trump Administration threatens them with unlawful actions,” said Amy Romero, Chief Legal Counsel of LCRI. “Our effort to stop the Administration’s illegal attempt to play politics with critical Continuum of Care services for people experiencing homelessness at issue in this case is yet another example.”