The U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth (HUD) is transferring to intestine funding for everlasting supportive housing (PSH), placing greater than 170,000 individuals – most of whom are older adults and folks with disabilities – liable to dropping their houses. For this inhabitants, dropping a house typically means making an attempt to outlive on the streets or being institutionalized.
For a lot of older adults who’re unhoused, entry to everlasting supportive housing (PSH) supplies a roof over their heads and providers to stabilize their well being and lives. Older adults are the fastest-growing group amongst individuals experiencing homelessness and an more and more bigger share of individuals in PSH. In 2022, seniors age 55 and over comprised 40% of PSH residents.
PSH primarily serves individuals with disabilities who had been chronically homeless and have essentially the most advanced wants. As a confirmed resolution for homelessness, it has loved bipartisan assist for many years.
However now, HUD is making an attempt to slash funding for PSH and different everlasting housing in its Continuum of Care (CoC) homeless help program. CoC funding supplies round $3.7 billion yearly for communities’ homeless response methods nationwide.
At the moment, round 87% of CoC funding helps everlasting housing. Beginning subsequent yr, nevertheless, HUD needs to chop that quantity to 30% to shift extra funds to momentary and fewer efficient types of help, resembling transitional housing.
Dangers of Institutionalization
The Trump Administration has additionally embraced a punitive strategy to homelessness and is pushing states to do the identical. HUD plans to prioritize awarding CoC funds to jurisdictions that criminalize homelessness and use measures resembling involuntary dedication in opposition to people who find themselves unhoused.
States might more and more heed the Administration’s calls to lock up individuals experiencing homelessness. In the event that they do, extra unhoused older adults will wind up trapped in establishments like jails, psychiatric services, or nursing houses.
Cuts to Security Internet Will Gas Homelessness Disaster
HUD’s new CoC Discover of Funding Alternative (NOFO), which incorporates these and different damaging modifications to the CoC program, is a part of a broader shredding of the security web that may improve poverty and homelessness for seniors.
The CoC NOFO comes on the heels of the most important cuts in historical past to Medicaid and SNAP meals help. Older adults have already got the very best poverty price amongst all age teams, however as extra older adults lose their assist for well being care and meals, extra will battle to pay for his or her primary wants – together with housing.
As well as, present finances proposals in Congress for Fiscal Yr (FY) 2026 fail to offer adequate funding for federal rental help. For instance, virtually 60,000 households are on the point of dropping their Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) as a result of Congress might not renew funding for this system.
EHVs had been created particularly to assist individuals liable to or experiencing homelessness. Many EHV recipients are older adults and folks with disabilities, who use these vouchers to bridge the hole between their incomes and rents. If all EHV households lose their vouchers and housing subsequent yr, homelessness is anticipated to extend in some states by as much as 15-20%.
Congress, although, can act now to stop an extra rise in homelessness by halting HUD’s CoC NOFO and totally funding housing and homeless help.
What You Can Do
Congress has till January 30 to cross new spending payments for FY26. Within the meantime, it’s important to contact lawmakers as quickly as doable about how the brand new CoC NOFO will take away housing from older adults.
Lawmakers should perceive that older adults of their communities depend on HUD’s CoC and different packages to keep away from homelessness.
You’ll be able to:
