So. Ohio HART - Homeless Advocacy Response Team

06/01/2026

https://open.substack.com/pub/thefalloutfiles/p/ohio-epa-finds-small-ross-county?r=57o8je&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

A Ross County village wastewater plant was discharging pollution into Paint Creek at up to eight times the legal limit for four straight months — and Ohio EPA still doesn't know what caused it.

06/01/2026

Today is the last day to submit public comments on this insane proposal.
HUD issued on April 30 a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) that proposes removing important tenant protections from HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) regulations finalized in 2025 (see Memo, 5/11).

Examples of tenant protections HUD seeks to roll back include:

A requirement to relocate tenants, at no additional cost to the tenant, if a life-threatening deficiency cannot be resolved the same day.
Requirements regarding security deposits and allowing tenants to organize.
Protection against “unreasonable interference or retaliation.”
Take action today on HUD’s HOME proposal by:

Joining NLIHC and National Housing Law Project’s sign-on comment letter by Monday, June 1, at 4:00 pm ET!
Submitting your own comments, urging HUD to keep important tenant protections in the HOME regulations. Comments are due Monday, June 1, at 11:59 pm ET!

NLIHC Advocacy Hub

06/01/2026

https://homelesslaw.org/statement05292025/

Today’s release of the Point in Time (PIT) Homeless Census shows that, between 2024 and 2025, homelessness fell by 3.3% nationwide. This is good news: it means that over tens of thousands of people moved from homelessness into housing. This PIT count, conducted just weeks into Trump’s second ter...

06/01/2026

Today, the Trump administration released the results of the 2025 Point in Time (PIT) homeless census, the annual count of how many people experience homelessness across the country on a given night. The data shows that, between January 2024 and 2025, homelessness decreased by 3.3% nationwide.
This is good news! It means that tens of thousands of people moved from homelessness into housing. As convoluted as this data may seem, the results tell a very clear story: when we do what we know works – getting people housing they can afford and support they need – it is possible to solve homelessness. This count, conducted just weeks into Trump’s second term, shows that the Biden administration made progress because they invested in housing and support.

But the story doesn’t end there. Since communities collected this data nearly a year and a half ago, Trump has done everything in his power to backtrack on the progress we made, throwing out these proven solutions in favor of approaches that are actively making homelessness worse.

Learn how the Trump administration has made homelessness worse
https://homelesslaw.org/statement03242026/

These results come hours just after both the Louisiana legislature passed a bill, inspired by Trump, that makes it a crime to sleep outside, pushing homeless people into jail, forced treatment, and unpaid labor, and just before HUD is set to release new guidelines for funding that could slash billions of dollars in housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.

These results were also released six months late and deliberately do not include any mentions of gender, consistent with Trump’s broader efforts to dehumanize and scapegoat our homeless and trans neighbors. This administration has made their priorities clear: they are more interested in slow-walking vital data and wasting time removing words that don't align with narrow views than they are in addressing the dire lack of housing and care for everyone in this country.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We already know what works, and we have enough money to solve homelessness. It’s beyond time for politicians to use their power to ensure that everybody, regardless of what they look like, where they come from, or who they love, has the housing and support they need to thrive.

Read our full statement on the PIT results
(IN COMMENTS BELOW)

________________________________________

Onward,

The National Homelessness Law Center

Donate here to fuel our work.

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In the past month, the Trump administration has intensified its multi-agency assault on our homeless neighbors and has issued several policies and funding changes that will make homelessness worse. These policies all tie back to Trump’s anti-homeless order issued in July 2025.

05/28/2026

Just last week, the House proposed a budget that underfunds critical programs that keep people stably housed. Although the House’s proposal largely ignores the President’s disastrous budget proposal, it fails to meet the urgent funding needs of this moment. We need your voice NOW to make sure Congress prioritizes funding for permanent solutions to end homelessness when making budget decisions.

The Senate soon will propose its own budget, then will work with the House to reconcile both proposals. We need a strong and unified voice across the country to ensure that we can fully fund the programs that we know keep people off the streets. To meet this need, the Alliance proposes:
• $5.1 billion for the Homeless Assistance Grants programs and provisions to protect U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) funding for local homelessness. However, the House’s proposal only provides $4.16 billion for these grants, which will leave a massive gap in the housing and services providers can offer.

• $45.6 billion for HUD’s tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) programs to cover the cost of renewing current assistance and add new incremental vouchers to meet the growing demand. However, the House’s proposal only provides $38.08 billion for this rental assistance. This will force more people to lose their vouchers and enter homelessness, and it will result in fewer resources available to move people currently on the streets and in shelters back into permanent housing; and,

• $1.85 billion to expand housing opportunities for older adults at risk of and who are experiencing homelessness through targeted investments in the Section 202 Program. Older adults are the fastest rising population experiencing homelessness, but the House’s proposes only $1.06 for this critical program.

Communities need more resources to keep up with inflation, and to invest in new projects to move more people into, and to keep people in safe and stable housing.

Congress must hear from you before they make critical budget decisions.

Please share this with everyone in your community who cares about homelessness, including staff, volunteers, board members, CoC leads, and even your local and state elected officials! Members of Congress need to hear from all of them.

Thank you for your commitment to and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness!

Best,
Marcy Thompson (she/her/hers)
Vice President of Programs and Policy
National Alliance to End Homelessness

We’re proud that the main independent charity evaluators have given us their highest honor. meaning the Alliance uses the most possible of your gift to help those in need.

05/27/2026

Take Action!

As Congress continues its work on a final bipartisan housing supply bill, NLIHC urges lawmakers to pass a housing package that includes provisions that serve renters with the greatest needs, including:

The “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act,” which contains critical reforms proposed by NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery, Research, and Resilience Coalition (DHRC) to help ensure the federal government’s long-term disaster recovery program, HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, better serves disaster survivors and disaster-impacted communities with the lowest incomes.
The “Rural Housing Service Reform Act,” which would help preserve affordable rental and homeownership opportunities for low-income people and families living in rural areas, cut red tape, and encourage public-private partnerships to increase investment in the country’s rural housing supply. Importantly, by decoupling rental assistance from maturing mortgages, the bill would help preserve affordable housing in rural areas and maintain housing access for 400,000 rural families.
Provisions from the “Choice in Affordable Housing Act” related to streamlining inspections for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program to make it faster and easier for HCV recipients to access housing in communities of their choice.
Use NLIHC’s Take Action page to contact your members of Congress and urge them to include these vital policies in any final bill!

NLIHC Advocacy Hub

05/27/2026

The amended “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act” is a broad, bipartisan housing package aimed at addressing the national affordable housing shortage. The bill includes 56 provisions related to housing supply, manufactured housing, mortgage financing, rural housing, veteran housing, and community banking.

The bill includes several provisions that NLIHC supports, including the Rural Housing Service Reform Act, provisions from the Choice in Affordable Housing Act, and others (see Memo, 5/18). However, the House bill does not include the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (RDRA), a top priority for NLIHC. The RDRA was included in the Senate’s bipartisan housing supply package, which passed the chamber in March (see Memo, 3/23).

The House of Representatives passed on May 20 the latest amended “21st Century ROAD to Housing Act” (H.R.1299) with strong bipartisan support, and a final vote of 396-13. NLIHC thanks the House, and in particular House Financial Services Committee Chair French Hill (R-AR) and Ranking Member Maxi...

05/27/2026

Please see the information below on the Ross County Summer Food Program! *Please note this is a revised schedule from the flier previously distributed! Here’s the link to pre-register: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K5SQ6V9

05/27/2026

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have raised concerns with HUD over delays in distributing critical homelessness funding, despite directives from both Congress and a federal judge. At this point, only 48 of the nearly 6,700 projects eligible to be renewed in FY2025 have been executed and have access to their grant funding.
HUD is slow walking this process, which is straining providers, jeopardizing relationships with landlords and other partners, and disrupting lifesaving programs.

Congress needs to step in and pressure HUD to act.
https://endhomelessness.org/action/continuums-of-care-need-fiscal-year-2025-award-funds-now/?emci=37af4e64-4655-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&emdi=471e5208-5a55-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&ceid=15592598


In addition to using the Alliance’s action alert to contact Congress, here are two other ways you can take action today:


1. Call your lawmakers’ D.C. offices:
The Capitol Hill switchboard is (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the House or Senate office you request. Don’t know what to say? You can use this script as a starting point and add in your own message and detail.

Hi, my name is (Name) and I'm a constituent from (City/State). I'm calling to notify (Rep/Senator) that, despite bi-partisan support for the Fiscal Year 2026 Consolidated Appropriations act, Fiscal Year 2025 CoC Program funds are still not reaching our community. We need these funds. Can I count on (Rep/Senator) to please urge HUD to remove unnecessary delays so that homelessness grant agreements and program funds for all Fiscal Year 2025 can get to communities that are counting on them?
2. Send a personalized email to your lawmaker’s office:
If you already have a staff contact or email address for your Member of Congress' office, please email them directly instead of using the form. Lawmakers are more likely to pay attention to emails that include personal details.

Create your own e-mail using the information provided in this message and customize it with specific details on potential impact for your organization and community.

Please be sure to provide your name and address so the staff know you are a constituent, will take you seriously, and will send you a written response.


Thank you for your commitment to and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness!
Best,
Tamina Chowdhury (she/her/hers)
Director of Advocacy and Campaign Strategy
National Alliance to End Homelessness

We’re proud that the main independent charity evaluators have given us their highest honor. meaning the Alliance uses the most possible of your gift to help those in need.