Hoover’s statement she shared after our chat:

Follow up to the HUD NOFO debacle

On January 8, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a notice announcing that the fiscal year 2024 – 2025 (FY24-25) Continuum of Care (CoC) NOFO would reopen on Friday, January 9, 2026, and remain open until Monday, February 9, 2026. The notice also stated that HUD anticipates being able to select awards no later than late March 2026. View HUD’s notice here1. HUD has made clear that if the court order is no longer in effect, it will not continue processing awards under the FY24-25 NOFO and that it intends to implement the NOFO issued on December 19, 2025. The case is continuing to final judgment on an expedited basis.

HUD made this announcement pursuant to a preliminary injunction2 granted in National Alliance to End Homelessness et. al. v. HUD, a case brought by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), local governments, and other nonprofit organizations, which seeks to prevent HUD’s harmful attempt to stop funding evidence-based permanent housing programs. This preliminary injunction temporarily blocks HUD from canceling the FY24-25 NOFO and issuing a new NOFO that could result in immediate housing instability or a return to homelessness for more than 170,000 people. The preliminary injunction protects individuals, families, veterans, seniors, youth, and others from displacement during the winter months.

Read the full complaint filed on December 1, 2025 here3.

Read the Court Order issued by Judge Mary S. McElroy of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island on December 23, 2025 here4.

https://www.hud.gov/hud-partners/community-coc
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/RI_Court_Order_CoC_Nofo.pdf
https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/NAEH-v-HUD-25-cv-636-Complaint-with-civil-cover-sheet-and-summons.pdf
https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/RI_Court_Order_CoC_Nofo.pdf

Key Impacts on Ohio

Housing Loss: The primary effect is the potential displacement of 10,000 Ohioans currently in stable, permanent supportive housing, including veterans, seniors, people with disabilities, and families.
Funding Gaps: Due to administrative delays and a federal court injunction surrounding the new NOFO, current CoC grants are set to begin expiring in January 2026, with most affected by May 2026. This creates a funding gap that could force providers to shut down or reduce services.
Shift in Housing Strategy: The proposed changes by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) aimed to cap permanent housing funding at 30% of a CoC’s allocation, a significant drop from the 85-90% many Ohio communities currently use for these effective, long-term solutions. This policy shift would redirect funds towards shorter-term transitional housing, a model that advocates argue is less effective for chronic homelessness.
Increased Public Costs: Without stable housing, affected individuals are more likely to cycle through emergency rooms, shelters, and jails, which are significantly more expensive for taxpayers than supportive housing.
Administrative Chaos: The last-minute changes have created significant uncertainty and increased administrative burdens for local agencies, who must now navigate a complex application process for renewal funding that was initially intended to be a streamlined, two-year cycle.

Current Status

A federal court issued a preliminary injunction on December 23, 2025, ordering HUD to pause the new FY2025 CoC NOFO and process renewals under the previous FY2024-2025 rules. The Ohio Balance of State CoC (BoSCoC) competition is currently paused pending further guidance from HUD and the court.

Advocacy groups like the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) are urging constituents to contact federal representatives to demand that all eligible renewals be processed immediately to prevent service disruptions.

COHHIO’S update on the COC NOFO progress: https://cohhio.org/ohio-boscoc-update-on-fy2025-coc-program-nofo-01-07-2026/

That is why So. Ohio HART is urging ALL Housing and Homeless Service providers to voice their concerns now: We cannot and should not wait “for someone else to do it”. It is our responsibility as providers, resources, service providers to speak up for this vital funding… EACH AND EVERY ONE!

If they don’t, they will get exactly what they asked for ….. disaster!

What we want:

Full funding to renew all existing tenant-based voucher contracts, to ensure the people and families who rely on an HCV or EHV to keep a roof over their heads do not lose their assistance. Check out the “EHV Funding Cliff Mobilization Toolkit” for more information, including talking points and resources.
$4.922 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) program, and for HUD to stick to its commitment to a two-year Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Continuum of Care Program.
$5.7 billion for public housing operations, and at least $5 billion to address public housing capital needs.
$15 million for the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP), as provided in the Senate’s spending bill.
At least $1.3 billion for HUD’s Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program and $150 million for IHBG-Competitive funds, targeted to Tribes with the greatest needs.

Where Agencies can advocate: https://nlihc.quorum.us/campaign/81487/

Where Advocates, Volunteers, Outreach, other Providers can voice their concerns: https://endhomelessness.org/action/act-now-hold-hud-accountable-and-protect-coc-program-funding/

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