The Department of Housing and Urban Development is changing how homelessness dollars are being doled out, and 21 states, including Washington and Oregon, are suing them for it.
For years, HUD has used its Continuum of Care to distribute grant money to local housing providers.
But on Nov. 13, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced changes to the program, drastically reducing the amount of grant money that can go toward permanent supportive housing, an approach which studies show successfully reduces rates of homelessness and substance abuse. Previously about 90% of the grants went toward permanent housing. Under the new rules, about 30% will go to such projects.
Washington organizations get about $120 million in grants annually through the Continuum of Care, according to the attorney general's office.
More than $90 million of those dollars go to the state's five most populous counties: King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, and Clark.
The state isn't in a place to backfill that money, Brown said at a press conference Tuesday morning.
"When the administration tries to pull this level of funding from Washington state and many states across the country, that is money that cannot be replaced immediately," he said. "We would, of course, do everything we can to fill that void, but it would not be able to fill that hole. And there will be a crisis if that money was to lapse."
Other changes by HUD include new requirements for grant recipients, like mandating providers only recognize two genders and requiring tenants go to treatment before they can be housed.
The change could mean programs not in compliance lose funds after December 15, Washington Commerce Department Director Joe Nguyen said.
"Should this go forward, what could happen is that folks who are severely disabled, folks who have no other option but these resources could be forced out onto the streets literally right before Christmas," Nguyen said.
"The loss of these funds would be just really traumatic for those people that are like me that may not be computer savvy or may not have the right words but have the drive and the desire to work," said Latay Mitchell, a member of Thurston and Washington Counties' lived experience advisory boards.
Brown and the other plaintiffs argue HUD didn’t go through the proper rulemaking channels and that these revisions need congressional approval.
They’re asking the court to pause the changes while the suit goes forward.
This is Brown's 45th suit against the Trump Administration.
