Federal grant payments to federal housing providers over $3.6 billion have been suspended for several weeks while the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Agency is trying to condition the funds on receipt by following DEI and compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive action targeting transgender and immigrant communities.
March 4th was the statutory deadline for the institution to distribute funds. This is provided through the Continuum of Care program, which supports local governments and nonprofit organizations working to promote “a community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.”
On March 13, a Senate Democrat group led by US Senators Adam Schiff (California) and Tina Smith (Minnesota). I wrote it I urge Scott Turner’s secretary to move quickly to distribute grants and to warn the consequences the recipients are currently facing, and the harm they will encounter in the future if the delay continues.
“To maintain the lighting, providers are now forced to draw a line of credit to their organizations at a significant cost and risk,” the senator said. “These projects will enable homeless service providers to provide access to permanent and temporary housing, crisis counseling and other support services to veterans, families with children, young people, older adults and vulnerable individuals.”
HUD has since spread the grant agreement – and Shiff has made public example His office website stipulates among other regulations that award winners “should not use grant funds to promote “gender ideology” and restore biological truth to the federal government, among other things.” and (3) “We agree that the funds will not be used by design or effectiveness in ways that promote subsidies or promotion of illegal immigrants or promote the promotion of so-called “sanctuary” policies that seek to protect illegal aliens from deportation.
On March 14, the Fourth U.S. Court of Appeals maintained a national injunction appointing three parts of Trump’s executive order on DEI, and the next day, HUD said it would withdraw its COC agreement and expect a new agreement within a week, as it “works to revise the COC grant agreement to comply with federal law and applicable court orders.”
After that, Schiff led a Second letter Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (NY) and US Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Martin Heinrich (DN.M.), Ron Weiden (d-ore.), Mazier Hirono (d-Hawaii), and Richard Blumental (Connecia) on March 19th.
“We urge all individuals experiencing homelessness to immediately issue a new COC grant agreement consistent with years of practice to ensure that all individuals experiencing homelessness receive protection and support regardless of gender identity, location or other characteristics,” they said.
“The first 201024 grant agreement issued to COC fundraisers included new requirements that were highly problematic and could be illegal,” the senator argued. “These orders include prohibiting shelters from serving trans people, banning DEI initiatives, certifying that they “sanctuary” policies protecting non-citizens, conflicts with federal civil rights, fair housing, immigration laws and raising serious legal and constitutional concerns. ”
“The harm caused by these late, unfulfilled COC grant agreements will be disproportionate to the most vulnerable groups, including women, families with children, youth, veterans, survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the lawmaker said. They said, “Women experiencing homelessness – many of them are fleeing domestic abuse – are already facing major barriers to safety and stability, and limiting access to critical housing services only puts their lives and well-being at greater risk.”
Citing a study in which one in three transgender Americans experience homelessness in their lives, Schiff and his colleagues emphasized that “trans and nonbinary people in the United States face significant barriers to ensuring safe housing, experiencing a high rate of abuse and violence in many homelessness and shelters.”
Regarding the language of the agreement on the “sanctuary” policy, the senator said, “There are organizations that receive COC funds to provide important non-discriminatory assistance to those in need, regardless of the migrant situation. These organizations do not set or enforce immigration policies – they simply fulfill their legal obligation to save lives and provide life-saving care.”
Later on March 19, HUD began issuing new contracts that do not thwart its DEI regulations but include the same language on “gender ideology” and “sanctuary” policies.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
