In their 47th lawsuit against the Trump administration, a coalition of 20 attorneys general and two governors are suing to restore federal funding for affordable housing and other homelessness services. They say new restrictions the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development imposed on a longstanding grant program earlier this month will worsen the country’s homelessness problem.
“Under both Democratic and Republican presidents, HUD’s Continuum of Care program has helped states, local governments and nonprofit organizations combat homelessness and provide safe, stable housing to our most vulnerable residents,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “This program has proven to be effective at getting Americans off the streets, yet the Trump Administration is now attempting to illegally slash its funding.”
HUD’s Continuum of Care grant program is designed to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness and to provide the services needed to help them move into transitional and permanent housing, according to the agency’s website.
On Nov. 13, HUD said it would impose new restrictions on the $4 billion program, saying individuals, foreign entities and sole proprietorship organizations would no longer be eligible to receive the grants.
The attorneys general say the restrictions are unlawful and would lead to tens of thousands of formerly homeless individuals being forced back onto the street.
HUD did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit, which was filed in a U.S. District Court in Rhode Island Tuesday. In addition to the 20 state attorneys general, the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania are plaintiffs.
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