Representatives Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and 59 other Democratic lawmakers sent a letter on September 19 to HUD Secretary Ben Carson opposing changes to the 2019 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Continuum of Care (CoC) program. The letter states that the NOFA undermines both the successful Housing First model and protections for transgender people experiencing homelessness; the letter urges HUD to reinstate provisions included in previous grant cycles.
The 2019 NOFA removes incentives for housing providers to utilize the Housing First model, an effective, evidence-based approach for connecting people experiencing homelessness with housing. HUD also excluded incentives to encourage service providers to follow the 2016 Equal Access rule, which protects the right of transgender individuals to access shelter matching their gender identity. Trans people disproportionately experience homelessness: one in three transgender people will experience homelessness in their lifetime, and 70% of trans people who have used a shelter have experienced harassment. This change in the NOFA follows HUD’s announcement to weaken the Equal Access rule (see Memo 5/28). The letter states that these recent actions suggest “HUD either does not understand the challenges and dangers that homelessness poses to the LGBTQ community or is knowingly discriminating against these individuals.”
Read the full letter at: https://tinyurl.com/y42khk7v