Act Now to Preserve Critical CoC Federal Funding

Homeless services providers have faced significant funding challenges and uncertainty this year. On September 30th, Politico reported potentially catastrophic changes to the FY25 HUD CoC NOFO.  HUD’s changes to this CoC Program NOFO will result in significant funding delays, loss of housing for 550+ people in our community, and critical resource gaps in communities all across the country, no matter what their political inclination. It will impact all kinds of communities, with a greater impact on rural areas that have fewer resources to offset federal funding cuts.  

GRCoC Data: 

The CoC program is the largest single source of funding for homeless services in the GRCoC, with 87% of HUD CoC funds allocated to Permanent Housing programs in the GRCoC. HUD CoC Permanent housing programs include: Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Rapid Re-Housing (RRH), and youth-specific Joint Transitional Housing & Rapid Re-Housing. The HUD CoC Program supports nearly 350 housing units across the greater Richmond Region and provides monthly rental payments to 278+ landlords. The HUD CoC program is also the only source of funding coordinated through the CoC for Permanent Supportive Housing.  

If an arbitrary 30% cap on permanent housing funds is implemented, we’d see devastating results in our community. These cuts could result in over 550 older adults, chronically homeless individuals and families with mental and physical disabilities, veterans, and families with minor children pushed into eviction and street homelessness. Across all HUD CoC-Funded Permanent Housing projects in FY2024-25, 834 people were served, a 70% reduction in the GRCoC’s capacity to house people experiencing homelessness could represent 584 fewer people receiving housing supports annually in our community. 70% fewer housing resources could mean: 154 adults aged 55+, 354 adults with disabilities, and 294 people in families with children will not be able to receive critical CoC housing resources.  

Let’s be clear: These cuts would cause hundreds of families and individuals currently living in safe and stable housing to lose their homes and be forced back into homelessness. 

This poses an existential threat to our region and we need you!   

The Ask 

Call and/or email to ask your Representative and both Senators to please protect homelessness funding for our state/district by including section 166 from S. 2882/H.R. 5450 in the continuing resolution. Outreach to republican representatives is especially critical.  

Find your Congressional Representatives 

Senators: 

Tim Kaine (D) 

Mark Warner (D) 

House Representatives: 

VA-1: John McGuire (R) 

VA-4: Jennifer McClellan (D) 

VA-5: Rob Wittman (R) 

Here is a sample script you can tailor and use to contact your representatives: 

“I am a constituent living in [insert city/town/county] and [insert connection to homeless services]. I am calling to urge you to protect CoC Funding for homeless services as a top priority for your colleagues in the [house/senate]. Specifically, when the government shutdown ends, we need you to ensure the inclusion of Section 166 in the Continuing Resolution; a no-cost provision in the continuing resolution. It would require HUD to renew all existing funding grants for homeless services expiring during calendar year 2026 for one 12-month period.  This no-cost provision would save money for taxpayers, allow for Congressional review of controversial changes in homelessness policy, and prevent funding interruptions next year which have detrimental impacts in their district and state.”