Minnesota joins 20 states suing HUD over homeless housing funding

Minnesota files lawsuit over HUD funding reform

Minnesota/s attorney general, along with several more attorneys general, filed a lawsuit over homeless housing funding. FOX 9's Soyoung Kim has more.

(FOX 9) - A coalition of attorneys general announced they are standing up against the Trump administration. This time, over major changes to how federal funding can be directed to homelessness programs.

New rules raise concerns

What we know:

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he is joining 20 other states that filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over proposed homeless housing funding changes.

Timeline:

The complaint filed Tuesday is trying to stop HUD from implementing policy changes and cuts to its Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which provides federal funding for homelessness housing and service projects.

Earlier this month, HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the department is shifting focus from permanent housing assistance to transitional housing and support.

Local perspective:

Local housing advocates said it would impact roughly 3,600 people in Minnesota. The policy shifts would significantly decrease how much money can be directed to permanent supportive housing.

What they're saying:

Ellison said they do not agree with this approach that flips the "housing first" model on its head.

"If the Trump administration’s attempts to cut this funding go through, tens of thousands of formerly homeless people will end up getting evicted from their homes through no fault of their own. Trump’s actions here are as cruel as they are unlawful, so I’m challenging them in court. I will not sit back and allow this administration to throw families out on the street," said Ellison.

The other side:

Turner released a statement on HUD’s monumental reforms to homelessness programs.

"Our philosophy for addressing the homelessness crisis will now define success not by dollars spent or housing units filled, but by how many people achieve long-term self-sufficiency and recovery. We are stopping the Biden-era slush fund that fueled the homelessness crisis, shut out faith-based providers simply because of their values, and incentivized never-ending government dependency. These long-overdue reforms will promote independence 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."

What's next:

The complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.