Union County Advocates Attack Trump Administration For Proposed Reduction In Support For Homeless

UNION COUNTY, NJ — An organization in Union County that helps those in need lashed out against a proposed new set of rules by the White House for access to grants in support of those who are homeless and struggling in other ways.

Bridges Outreach called this "one of the most significant and harmful shifts in federal homelessness policy in a decade" and believes this could encourage criminalization and weaken trauma-informed, person-centered care.

New Jersey's Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and 20 other of his counterparts in other states filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration on Nov. 25 that they said would force more people into homelessness.

The lawsuit states that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is unconstitutionally reducing the amount of Continuum of Care (COC) grant funds that can be used towards permanent housing and project renewals, while also creating new restrictions on accessing the funding.

HUD temporarily revoked its notice of funding opportunity on Dec. 8 that would have made the adjustments to the program. Officials said this was to further review the lawsuit brought by the states' Attorneys General, and a second by a group of local governments and nonprofits.

"HUD's proposed COC changes don't just undermine proven housing pathways, they actively endanger the people we serve," said Richard Uniacke, President of Bridges Outreach. "These rules push communities toward policies that make homelessness more hidden, more punitive, and far more dangerous."

The group is an organization that runs street outreach, housing navigation, and the Bringing Veterans Home program throughout Essex and Union Counties.

The proposed new rules to access grant funds would require residents to accept certain services as preconditions to get housing, punish housing providers in areas that don't have strict anti-homeless laws, and bar funding from providers unless they adopt the White House's views on gender.

The lawsuit points to drastic "wholesale changes" that would take place in contrast to previous changes to grant considerations that allowed for an incremental adjustment to avoid mass immediate disruption to housing access.

According to Bridges, the number of people who are homeless in New Jersey is already up by 54.3 percent as compared to 2023.

"We see every day that housing alone is not enough," Uniacke added, "people also need financial stability, food security, health care, and community connection to rebuild dignity and independence. These rules threaten every part of that continuum."

Continuum of Care grants have been around for decades after Congress created them to help local and regional organizations plan and coordinate housing services. These grants are utilized along with other funding sources and follow the HUD's longstanding "Housing First" allocation model.

"Housing First" distribution addresses homelessness nationwide by providing help regardless of preconditions like sobriety and a minimum personal income.

Starting in 2026, these Continuum of Care grants would be cut by two-thirds. Only 30 percent of the funds would be allowed to be protected year-to-year, down from the 90 percent that has been the usual benchmark, according to Platkin's office.

"HUD's changes to anti-homelessness grants are not only unlawful, they will cause more homelessness by blocking numerous New Jerseyans from getting access to housing, all in the name of political games," said Platkin.

According to Bridges Outreach, the new rules would motivate localities to criminalize the homeless population by enacting camping bans, adding law enforcement to the outreach, enforcing involuntary commitment, and discriminating against certain types of people on the streets.

The group also fears that veterans, families, older adults, and "medically fragile" individuals would be significantly impacted.

"We are taking the Trump Administration to court," Platkin said, "and standing up for all New Jerseyans for whom this could mean life or death."

Funding under the current COC program will begin to expire in January 2026.

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