Cuts in Federal Homeless Housing Funds Expected To Have 'Devastating' Impact on State Programs

"The latest blow in a seemingly endless barrage of bad news for the California agencies tasked with fighting homelessness looms: President Donald Trump's administration is expected to deeply cut federal funding for permanent housing. The news has sent counties throughout California into a panic. The state is bracing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars for permanent housing, which is the one thing experts agree on as the most effective way to solve homelessness."

"Across the state, homeless service providers and local leaders are convening emergency meetings to figure out just how bad the cuts are going to be and what to do about them. Some are scrambling to move money around or even re-label their programs to save hard-won housing. Others have already started helping fewer people in anticipation of the cuts. But they agree on one thing:"

"If these cuts go through, thousands of California's most vulnerable residents likely will be evicted from their subsidized housing, and may end up back on the street. It would likely reverse recent progress made in fixing the state's severe homelessness problem. "I don't know what they think is going to happen with all these people," said Maryn Pitt, chair of the Stanislaus County Continuum of Care, which manages the county's federal homelessness funds."

The Trump administration plans deep cuts to federal funding for permanent housing, prompting California counties and homelessness providers to panic. The state may lose hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to permanent housing, widely seen as the most effective solution to homelessness. Local leaders are convening emergency meetings, reallocating or re-labeling programs, and already helping fewer people in anticipation of reduced aid. Thousands of residents in subsidized housing face potential eviction and increased risk of returning to the streets if funding is cut. Many agencies warn the changes could reverse recent progress on the state's severe homelessness problem.

Read at San Jose Inside