John,

On April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States of America (SCOTUS) heard arguments in Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson—a case about whether cities have the right to punish unhoused people and charge them exorbitant fines when there is no housing they can afford.

Instead of addressing high rents that push people out, or engaging in other kinds of policies that help reduce homelessness and provide support, the leaders of Grants Pass, OR have decided to fine people $375 for sleeping outside.¹ In a city with rapidly rising housing costs and a lack of adequate and accessible homeless shelters, unhoused residents of Grants Pass have been fined between $1,000 and $6,000 for sleeping in tents in public parks.²

What’s happening in Grants Pass isn’t an anomaly. There is a shortage of 7.3 million affordable rental homes available to renters with extremely low incomes—not a single state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for them.³

A report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) revealed that homelessness increased by 12%, or 70,650 more people, in 2023—a record high.⁴ On a single night in January of 2023, 653,100 people—20 out of every 10,000 people in the U.S.—were experiencing homelessness.⁵

As Congress is negotiating appropriations bills for FY2025, we’re urging them to increase housing to meet this drastic need.

No one should be homeless in the richest country in the world. Send a direct message to Congress urging them to increase funding for vital housing programs.

The programs and services funded by the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee have a profound impact on people’s lives. We know that stable and affordable housing improves health and well-being, child development, educational and skills attainment, and productivity.⁶ Yet housing and homelessness programs have been shortchanged in the appropriations process—only one in four households with incomes low enough to be eligible receive federal rental assistance, and the capped funding for FY2024 did little to reach those left out. There is another very tight cap already in law for FY2025. But Congress can and must approve funding outside the cap to meet urgent needs.

We are strongly urging Congress for housing funding that begins to address the gaps created from years of shortchanging these essential programs:

• Full funding to renew all existing contracts for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, and funding to expand assistance to at least 20,000 more households

• $6.2 billion for public housing operations and $5.1 billion for public housing capital needs

• $4.7 billion for HUD's Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) program

• $100 million for the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP)

• At least $1.3 billion for Tribal housing programs, plus $150 million for competitive funds targeted to tribes with the greatest needs

• Increased funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), and especially to increase staffing at HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)—particularly important for victims of domestic violence

• $800 million for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education

• $304 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

We cannot ignore the fact that lack of access to affordable housing disproportionately impacts people with disabilities, communities of color, seniors, families with children, LGBTQIA people, and people with low incomes. Limited funding endangers survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as demand for services skyrockets—leading to over 180,000 domestic violence survivors a year being unable to access emergency shelter and one-third of rape crisis centers having substantial waiting lists. Without stable housing, people have difficulty accessing stable employment, education, and reliable health care. The effects can be felt for generations.

Click here to send a letter to Congress urging them to invest in housing programs.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action

¹ NAEH, NLIHC, CBPP: Supreme Court Case Highlights Need for Leaders to Address Homelessness With Humane, Proven Strategies
² How a small city in Oregon could shape the way major U.S. cities handle homelessness
³ No State Has an Adequate Supply of Affordable Rental Housing for the Lowest-Income Renters
⁴ Homelessness in the U.S. jumped to record level in 2023, government says
⁵ The 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR to Congress) Part 1: Point-In-Time Estimates of Homelessness, December 2023
⁶ Housing and Health Partners Can Work Together to Close the Housing Affordability Gap
⁷ 18th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report - Full Report