FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 14, 2025
CONTACT: Communications Director Marcus Roth
HUD Jeopardizes the Homes of 10,000 Formerly Homeless Ohio Households
More than 10,000 Ohio households – and 170,000 nationally – are at risk of returning to homelessness as a result of last-minute policy changes to the largest source of federal funding for local homeless assistance programs.
On Thursday evening the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a new Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program that caps fiscal year 2025 funding for programs that house formerly homeless people at only 30 percent of their previous allocation. Currently, nearly 90 percent funds permanent housing programs, and most house people with disabilities who spent years living on the streets.
In January, HUD announced $178 million in CoC funding for Ohio. This week’s action marks a sudden reversal that could shift $80 million away from Ohio programs that house people experiencing homelessness. The last-minute change leaves little time to apply for funding under new criteria, and some agencies will start running out of funds in January.
Amy Riegel, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said HUD’s changes to the CoC program run counter to the Trump administration’s efforts to get people off the street.
“The programs that HUD is targeting get people out of homelessness and into homes with treatment to help them overcome mental health and addiction issues so they can stay permanently housed,” she said. “Defunding these programs will force many of them to shut down, leaving their residents with few options but to return to the streets.”
COHHIO advocated for a provision requiring HUD to adhere to its previous two-year funding commitment for the CoC program. However, it was not included in the recent Continuing Resolution that ended the government shutdown, despite support from U.S. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Dayton) and over 20 other House Republicans who signed a letter asking HUD to delay the changes.
“We appreciate Congressman Turner and his colleagues for trying to prevent massive disruption to the nation’s homeless services,” Riegel said.
COHHIO and other advocacy groups are now asking Congress to include a provision in an upcoming appropriations bill that would require HUD to renew CoC grants for another year. U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Chagrin Falls), a member of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, has an important voice in the process.
“Fortunately, Congressman Joyce understands that housing and treatment are the real solutions to homelessness. We hope that he will fight for a less chaotic, more responsible process as HUD tries to overhaul the nation’s homeless response system,” Riegel said.
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