The State of Maine has joined a coalition of 20 other states in suing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), accusing the federal agency of illegally restricting access to long-term homelessness support.
At issue is a policy overhaul of HUD’s Continuum of Care grant program, which traditionally helps fund permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Maine and the other states argue that new rules sharply limit how much of the grants can go toward permanent housing and renewals.
The complaint also alleges HUD has imposed new, unlawful conditions on funding eligibility. These include requiring providers to recognize only two genders, mandating that residents accept services as a precondition for housing, and penalizing localities that do not enforce strict anti-homeless laws, all of which the states contend run counter to prior HUD guidance and congressional intent.
[RELATED: HUD’s New Homelessness Policy Could Push 1,200 Mainers into the Streets, Mills Administration Warns]
Aaron M. Frey, Maine’s Attorney General, warned that the changes could trigger “administrative chaos” and lead to thousands of people losing stable housing. He noted the consequences would be especially dire as Maine heads into winter.
According to Maine officials, the Continuum of Care program currently supports long-term housing for more than 1,800 people, including families, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and survivors of domestic violence. The state says more than 1,200 could lose their housing under HUD’s proposed new rules.
HUD, for its part, has defended the changes as reforms aimed at promoting “real success and accountability,” saying the agency stands by its decision to restructure the program.
