Trump officials tempmp officials temporarily withdraw policy cutting long-term housing support
Officials say they may pursue changes again, however, as lawsuits to block them persist.
A homeless person pushes a shopping cart on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
Photo by: Ethan Swope/AP
A homeless person pushes a shopping cart on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
By: Jacob Gardenswartz
Posted 21 minutes ago
The Trump administration on Monday abruptly withdrew a controversial policy aimed at reshaping a multi-billion-dollar anti-homelessness grant program run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as the proposed changes drew lawsuits from over a dozen states and localities as well as homeless-serving organizations.
In a court filing Monday afternoon, officials wrote they withdrew guidance documents pertaining to the new policy “in order to assess the issues raised by Plaintiffs in their suits and to fashion a revised [plan].” A new notice on the program’s website says the agency “still intends to exercise this discretion and make changes” to the program, and that officials expect to share the updated policy “well in advance of the deadline for obligation of available Fiscal Year 2025 funds.”
As Scripps News reported in November, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is pushing a significant overhaul of the Continuum of Care program, which provides government grants to localities and aid organizations that combat homelessness via housing support, mental health and job training services.
Among the proposed changes to the nearly $4 billion program was a significantly lowered cap on how much funding could go towards long-term housing support; whereas previous funding years limited spending on long-term housing programs to 90% of grant receipts, Turner’s changes limited it to just 30%.
“Prior to us getting here in the Biden administration, there were no strings attached to almost $4 billion of taxpayer funding,” Turner argued in an interview with Scripps News last month. “There was no accountability, and so we have to change that.”
In a statement to Scripps News Monday evening, a HUD spokesperson said the agency “fully stands by the fundamental reforms” to the program and will “reissue [the guidance document] as quickly as possible with technical corrections.”
“The Department remains fully committed to make long overdue reforms to its homelessness assistance programs,” the spokesperson added.
EARLIER THIS YEAR | Trump admin announces billion-dollar changes to a program that helps people out of homelessness
Housing advocates and groups that work to address homelessness, meanwhile, have spoken out forcefully against the proposed changes.
Trump officials temporarily withdraw policy cutting long-term housing support
Officials say they may pursue changes again, however, as lawsuits to block them persist.
A homeless person pushes a shopping cart on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
Photo by: Ethan Swope/AP
A homeless person pushes a shopping cart on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Portland, Ore.
By: Jacob Gardenswartz
Posted 21 minutes ago
The Trump administration on Monday abruptly withdrew a controversial policy aimed at reshaping a multi-billion-dollar anti-homelessness grant program run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), as the proposed changes drew lawsuits from over a dozen states and localities as well as homeless-serving organizations.
In a court filing Monday afternoon, officials wrote they withdrew guidance documents pertaining to the new policy “in order to assess the issues raised by Plaintiffs in their suits and to fashion a revised [plan].” A new notice on the program’s website says the agency “still intends to exercise this discretion and make changes” to the program, and that officials expect to share the updated policy “well in advance of the deadline for obligation of available Fiscal Year 2025 funds.”
As Scripps News reported in November, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is pushing a significant overhaul of the Continuum of Care program, which provides government grants to localities and aid organizations that combat homelessness via housing support, mental health and job training services.
Among the proposed changes to the nearly $4 billion program was a significantly lowered cap on how much funding could go towards long-term housing support; whereas previous funding years limited spending on long-term housing programs to 90% of grant receipts, Turner’s changes limited it to just 30%.
“Prior to us getting here in the Biden administration, there were no strings attached to almost $4 billion of taxpayer funding,” Turner argued in an interview with Scripps News last month. “There was no accountability, and so we have to change that.”
In a statement to Scripps News Monday evening, a HUD spokesperson said the agency “fully stands by the fundamental reforms” to the program and will “reissue [the guidance document] as quickly as possible with technical corrections.”
“The Department remains fully committed to make long overdue reforms to its homelessness assistance programs,” the spokesperson added.
EARLIER THIS YEAR | Trump admin announces billion-dollar changes to a program that helps people out of homelessness
Housing advocates and groups that work to address homelessness, meanwhile, have spoken out forcefully against the proposed changes.
