Without a stable place to live, it’s impossible to make progress on much else of anything in your life. All you can think about is where you’ll go that night, if you’ll be safe, and what you’ll do the next day. This is the reality that many individuals facing homelessness face. It’s heartbreaking when you think about a young mom navigating this scenario with a baby. New Moms has 58 apartments that serve as homes to young moms and children experiencing homelessness, and we serve hundreds more each year who are living in shelters, doubled up with family members, or bouncing around from place to place without a stable place to call home. But, as Tonja Robinson-Harris, New Moms’ Director of Housing, shared with a thrilling update recently celebrating the housing team’s work building pathways of stability, healing, and joy for our families, “When we center dignity and healing in everything we do, transformation isn’t just possible–it’s inevitable. We are shifting narratives, breaking cycles, and building legacy.” This is the transformational work done at New Moms, moving young moms from homelessness to housing stability and purpose, supported in part by a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant through the Chicago and Suburban Continuums of Care. The way New Moms, and other homeless service organizations across the country can provide these homes and services is in part because of federal funds received through Continuums of Care (CoCs), HUD-designated regional bodies that coordinate and oversee local homeless response systems.
A federal court has temporarily blocked new HUD funding restrictions that threatened proven, evidence-based solutions to homelessness, offering critical relief as winter begins. On December 19th, a preliminary injunction temporarily halted attempts to shift fundign away from permanent housing through changes to HUD's Continuum of Care program--a cornerstone that supports veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, and families experiencing homelessness. The ruling pauses unlawful conditions that could have destabilized housing for more than 170,000 people (including moms in our community). The decision underscores the importance of protecting permanent housing solutions.
Following the court decision, HUD issued a revised funding plan for public review. The revised plan does not address the fundamental problems in the originally issued plan. It continues to dramatically reduce funding for evidence-based supportive housing and requires a shift in funding from existing permanent housing projects to new projects aligned with the administration's priorities, particularly transitional housing with high service requirements. This plan continues to put more than 170,000 households across the country at risk of losing stable housing and threatens billions in public and private investment.
Housing, along with supportive services, helps break the cycle of homelessness and gives people an opportunity to build their lives with purpose. HUD CoC funding is essential to these efforts. At New Moms, $361,525 is at risk from HUD’s proposed changes. Without these funds, we will not be able to provide the same support to young families experiencing homelessness.
If you are concerned about these developments, there is something you can do. One entity has the power to end this saga by officially restoring the existing two-year funding cycle, and that's Congress. Join us in calling on Congress to act swiftly and urge lawmakers to include language in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 HUD appropriations bill to renew all existing Continuum of Care contracts for 12 months. This modest, no-cost solution would preserve housing stability, protect billions in public and private investment, and allow time for thoughtful policy review.
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