Boston Mayor Wu sues President Trump over $29M in federal homelessness funding cuts

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu commented the Trump administration s efforts to place restrictions on a critical federal funding initiative for housing and homelessness services will cost the city million and leave people out on the streets this winter Wu reported Monday that the city has joined jurisdictions and nonprofit organizations in suing the Trump administration with the aim to stop it from creating unlawful and unreasonable restrictions on funding for proven solutions to homelessness according to a declaration published by her office Permanent supportive housing has been a key to tackling homelessness and keeping Bostonians stable and safe in our area Wu explained in a report The Trump administration s harmful changes to this longstanding operation could leave more than Bostonians homeless I m grateful to all the jurisdictions joining us in this lawsuit to challenge these detrimental new requirements The lawsuit centers around changes the Trump administration is seeking to make to the U S Department of Housing and Urban Progress s Continuum of Care Initiative which helps to provide the necessary support for local governments and organizations to fund permanent housing projects to endorsement veterans older residents people with disabilities individuals and families facing homelessness Boston has received funding from the HUD-administered project since the s including million this year but now finds further cash at jeopardy by funding requirements that were rescinded by HUD on Nov and replaced with new criteria that threaten existing services Wu s office announced The nearly million in federal Continuum of Care grant funds received by the city this year benefited nonprofits and helped to stabilize more than formerly homeless households the mayor s office explained Changes proposed by the federal cabinet would require Boston to eliminate million in permanent supportive housing projects and replace them with new services-only and temporary housing projects city functionaries commented The mayor s office explained such changes would be harmful in that they would promote strict mandatory system forced rehabilitation and employment requirements over proven anti-homelessness strategies Boston s Continuum of Care funds the backbone of our work to house our homeless population Sheila Dillon the city s chief of housing explained in a declaration The proposed federal changes in this year s notice puts our residents at serious exposure Without these federal grants people who rely on permanent supportive housing designated to help those who live with disabling conditions could lose the homes that have helped them rebuild their lives A HUD press release from last month characterized the changes as monumental reforms that will end the Biden-era slush fund that directed of Continuum of Care funds over the last four years to sponsorship what the Trump administration considers to a failed Housing First ideology Such an approach per HUD encourages dependence on endless authorities handouts while neglecting to address the root causes of homelessness including illicit drugs and mental illness HUD noted the CoC initiative was intended to be a national competition to select the most of effective and innovative programs but the Biden administration only completed about of projects over four years During that same time period transitional housing which HUD disclosed has been proven to encourage self-sufficiency never received more than of CoC funding per the release Related Articles Boston Mayor Wu appoints interim chief of streets to replace bike-lane friendly predecessor Lucas Mayor White had swagger Mayor Wu not so much Fowl play Broken elevators at Boston citizens housing complex left residents stranded on Thanksgiving Divided Boston City Council has Ed Flynn pushing for a civility committee Battenfeld Michelle Wu s lax record holding Boston police accountable HUD Secretary Scott Turner is now requiring that of projects be completed to determine the best programs ending the status quo that automatically renewed funding without measuring success the housing agency s comment stated Our philosophy for addressing the homelessness situation will now define success not by dollars spent or housing units filled but by how several people achieve long-term self-sufficiency and recovery Turner announced in a report We are stopping the Biden-era slush fund that fueled the homelessness predicament shut out faith-based providers completely because of their values and incentivized never-ending executive dependency These long-overdue reforms will promote independence Turner disclosed and ensure we are supporting means-tested approaches to carry out the president s mandate connect Americans with the help they need and make our cities and towns beautiful and safe Julia Demaree Nikhinson The Associated PressPresident Donald Trump talks with Housing and Urban Improvement Secretary Scott Turner in July at the White House AP Photo Julia Demaree Nikhinson