AG Brown: HUD’s new housing the homeless policies ‘put lives at risk’

Washington is among 20 states suing the Trump Administration over changes to how federal funding can be used to house the homeless.

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown stated that there could be less federal funding for permanent housing after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) made “abrupt” changes that will limit access to long-term housing and other services.

“The federal government is trying to pull the rug out from under Washington housing providers who serve our most vulnerable residents,” Brown said during a press conference announcing the lawsuit.

Washington typically receives $120 million through HUD to help the state’s homeless population. In order to receive this grant money from HUD, via the Continuum of Care grant program, providers now must recognize only two genders (male and female), require residents to accept services before they can get housing, and penalize communities that do not enforce strict anti-homelessness laws.

“Lives are literally at risk by this decision,” Brown said. “These funds help people in Washington going through some of the most difficult situations that you can possibly imagine. We’re talking about survivors of domestic violence, families struggling with chronic homelessness, people who are exiting treatment facilities or the foster care system.”

Continuum of Care grants have helped local organizations coordinate shelter, permanent supportive housing, and social-service programs. Providers typically plan housing projects years in advance with these annual funds.

The complaint alleges that HUD violated its own regulations by not engaging in rulemaking before issuing the changes and violated the law by not receiving congressional authorization for these new conditions. Many of the new conditions are directly contrary to congressionally passed statutes and HUD’s own regulations, according to Brown.

“This $120 million in annual funding supports data-driven programs that are proven to help stabilize people so they can have the best chance to secure permanent housing,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson said. “Trump is once more playing politics with people’s most basic needs.”

In the past, HUD has directed approximately 90% of Continuum of Care funding to support permanent housing, but the agency’s new rulings would cut that by approximately two-thirds for grants starting in 2026. Congress has not authorized this change.

HUD is also protecting just 30% of its funding year to year, making it much harder to plan multi-year housing projects. HUD previously would protect 90% of its funding year to year.

A copy of the complaint can be viewed here.

The case will now move forward in federal court as states seek to block HUD from enforcing these new policies.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

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