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    Homelessness policy tracker: HUD funding, courts and counts, 2024-2026

    US homelessness policy has shifted sharply since 2024: the Supreme Court allowed cities to enforce camping bans, a July 2025 executive order called for civil commitment and an end to "Housing First", and HUD's rewrite of its main homelessness grants has been fought in court.[1][2][3][4] As of 11 October 2026, the FY2026 Continuum of Care competition is proceeding under an appeals court stay.[5]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated DevelopingSocial welfare, Tech policy

    What we know

    • HUD counted 745,652 people experiencing homelessness in January 2025, about 3% below the 2024 record[17]
    • Chronic homelessness among individuals hit a record 155,750 in 2025[18]
    • Cities may enforce generally applicable public-camping laws under the Eighth Amendment[1]
    • The July 2025 executive order directs agencies to end support for Housing First[3]
    • The FY2026 CoC notice sets aside $1.3 billion of $4.04 billion for new transitional housing and services projects[22]
    • A First Circuit stay lets the FY2026 CoC competition proceed pending appeal[4]
    • The FY2027 budget request would eliminate the CoC program[14]
    • England's rough sleeping estimate hit a record 4,793 in autumn 2025[19]

    What we don't know yet

    • How the First Circuit will rule on the merits of HUD's appeal over the FY2026 Continuum of Care notice
    • How many existing permanent supportive housing grants will be renewed when FY2026 awards are announced
    • Whether Congress will accept the FY2027 proposal to fold the Continuum of Care program into Emergency Solutions Grants
    • How many states or cities will expand civil commitment or camping enforcement in response to the executive order
    • What the January 2026 point-in-time count shows; HUD has not yet released it
    Story status

    Story status

    State
    developing
    Started
    2024-06-28
    Timeline entries
    17
    Last entry

    Timeline data (JSON)

    This tracker follows US federal homelessness policy, and the main UK statistics, as events happen. Background is in homelessness explained, and the evidence fight is in the Housing First debate. The next key date is October 13, 2026, when HUD’s public comment period on activities it proposes to incentivise through the Continuum of Care program closes.[5] This page is information only, not legal advice.

    Where things stand

    The Continuum of Care (CoC) program is HUD’s largest homelessness grant, and the fight over it is the centre of current policy.[6] HUD’s FY2025 and FY2026 notices moved money away from renewing permanent housing toward transitional housing and services, with points for requiring participation in treatment.[7][8] A district court found the FY2025 notices unlawful and vacated the FY2026 notice. On September 16, 2026, however, the First Circuit stayed that ruling pending appeal.[9][4] HUD reopened the competition with a September 30 deadline.[5] Separately, HUD has moved against the Los Angeles CoC and its lead agency, which are contesting the action in court.[10]

    The broader policy shift

    The 2024 Grants Pass ruling allows cities to enforce public-camping laws even when shelter beds are short.[1][11] The July 2025 executive order builds on that. It asks agencies to consider prioritising grants for jurisdictions that enforce camping and loitering bans, directs support for civil commitment, and directs SAMHSA not to fund so-called harm reduction or safe consumption efforts.[12][2][13] The FY2027 budget request would go further and eliminate the CoC program.[14] CRS also notes reports that the staff of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness was put on administrative leave.[15]

    Counts and data

    HUD’s 2025 count was 745,652, down about 3% from the 2024 record but higher than any earlier year.[16][17] Chronic homelessness among individuals reached a record.[18] In England, the autumn 2025 rough sleeping estimate of 4,793 was a record, and temporary accommodation reached 135,580 households in March 2026.[19][20] England’s next rough sleeping snapshot is due in early 2027.[21]

    Timeline

    17 confirmed

    1. confirmed

      HUD announces CoC Builds awards[33]

      About $97.7 million for 13 new permanent supportive housing projects, under FY2024 funding.

    2. confirmed

      HUD reopens FY2026 competition[5]

      Applications were due September 30, 2026.

    3. confirmed

      First Circuit stays the ruling[4][32]

      The appeals court said HUD had made a strong showing it is likely to succeed, letting the FY2026 competition proceed.

    4. confirmed

      England temporary accommodation at a record[20]

      Official statistics showed 135,580 households, including 177,530 children, in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2026.

    5. confirmed

      District court vacates FY2026 notice[4]

    6. confirmed

      States and advocates sue over FY2026 notice[4][32]

    7. confirmed

      Court rules FY2025 notices unlawful[9]

      The district court found HUD violated the Administrative Procedure Act with both the November and December 2025 notices.

    8. confirmed

      HUD issues FY2026 Continuum of Care notice[22][8]

      About $4.04 billion, with $1.3 billion set aside for new transitional housing and services-only projects and scoring points for required services.

    9. confirmed

      HUD releases the 2025 homelessness count[30][16][17][31]

      The count fell about 3% to 745,652; Secretary Turner said Housing First had failed to meaningfully reduce homelessness.

    10. confirmed

      FY2027 budget proposes ending the CoC program[14][29]

      The request would cut Homeless Assistance Grants by 9% and consolidate homeless funding under Emergency Solutions Grants.

    11. confirmed

      HUD announces first FY2025 renewal batch[28]

      Further batches followed on April 27 and May 21, 2026.

    12. confirmed

      England rough sleeping reaches a record[19]

      The autumn 2025 snapshot estimated 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night, above the 2017 peak.

    13. confirmed

      Congress orders noncompetitive renewals[27]

      The FY2026 appropriations law directed HUD to renew expiring FY2025 grants and to protect at least 60% of renewal demand.

    14. confirmed

      Court blocks the FY2025 notice[26]

      A federal district court in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction staying the FY2025 notice.

    15. confirmed

      HUD issues FY2025 Continuum of Care notice[25][7]

      The notice protected only 30% of renewal demand in tier 1 and prioritised treatment, transitional housing and services.

    16. confirmed

      Executive order on homelessness and civil commitment[24][2][3][12]

      The order "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" calls for flexible civil commitment standards, grant priority for places that enforce camping bans, and an end to federal support for Housing First.

    17. confirmed

      Supreme Court decides Grants Pass v. Johnson[1][23][11]

      In a 6-3 ruling, the Court held that enforcing public-camping laws is not cruel and unusual punishment, ending the Ninth Circuit's Martin v. Boise shelter-bed test.

    Next in the crash course

    Developing in World & Policy

    Sources

    · 33 claims from 6 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson (decided June 28, 2024), the Supreme Court held that enforcing generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property is not cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. confirmedas of 2024-06-28

    2. [2]

      The order directs the Attorney General to seek reversal of precedents and consent decrees that impede civil commitment, and to help states adopt "maximally flexible" civil commitment and treatment standards. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    3. [3]

      The order directs HHS and HUD, to the extent permitted by law, to end support for "housing first" policies and lets HUD require program participants with substance use disorder or serious mental illness to use treatment as a condition of participation. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    4. [4]

      A lawsuit challenging the FY2026 notice was filed on July 2, 2026; on August 7 the district court vacated the notice under the Administrative Procedure Act, and on September 16 a First Circuit panel stayed that order pending appeal, letting the competition proceed. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    5. [5]

      HUD reopened the FY2026 CoC competition on September 18, 2026 with an application deadline of September 30, 2026, and invited public comment on activities it proposes to incentivize through the CoC program, due October 13, 2026. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    6. [6]

      HUD's Continuum of Care (CoC) program is the largest federal funding source specifically targeted to people experiencing homelessness; in FY2024, 62% of its funding went to permanent supportive housing and 20% to rapid rehousing. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    7. [7]

      The FY2025 and FY2026 CoC funding notices shifted priorities toward treatment and recovery and required participation in services, made less money available to renew existing grants (mostly permanent housing), and prioritized new transitional housing and supportive services projects. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    8. [8]

      Under the FY2026 notice, up to 20 of 200 points reward providing treatment and recovery services and up to 8 reward requiring participation in supportive services; in FY2024, participation was not required under the Housing First approach. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    9. [9]

      On June 29, 2026, the district court ruled that HUD violated the Administrative Procedure Act in issuing both the November and December 2025 CoC notices. confirmedas of 2026-07-15

    10. [10]

      HUD signaled in June 2026 that it intended to find the Los Angeles CoC (CA-600) out of compliance and noticed a suspension of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; both have sought judicial review. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    11. [11]

      The ruling rejected the Ninth Circuit's Martin v. Boise approach, which had barred cities from enforcing camping bans against homeless people when homeless people outnumbered practically available shelter beds. confirmedas of 2024-06-28

    12. [12]

      The order tells agencies to consider prioritizing discretionary grants for states and cities that enforce bans on open drug use and on urban camping and loitering. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    13. [13]

      The order directs SAMHSA not to fund so-called harm reduction or safe consumption efforts. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    14. [14]

      The President's FY2027 budget, submitted April 3, 2026, proposes cutting Homeless Assistance Grants by $393 million (9%), eliminating the CoC program and consolidating homeless assistance under the Emergency Solutions Grants program. confirmedas of 2026-04-30

    15. [15]

      CRS reports that the entire staff of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness was reportedly put on administrative leave, and that HUD Secretary Scott Turner confirmed a staffing reduction of about 2,300 of roughly 8,000 HUD employees. reportedas of 2026-09-25

    16. [16]

      HUD's 2025 point-in-time count found 745,652 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2025, of whom 479,332 were sheltered and 266,320 unsheltered. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    17. [17]

      The 2025 count was about 3% lower than the 2024 record, but still higher than in any year before 2024. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    18. [18]

      In 2025 the numbers of homeless individuals and of chronically homeless individuals reached record highs; chronic homelessness among individuals stood at 155,750. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    19. [19]

      An estimated 4,793 people were sleeping rough in England on a single night in autumn 2025, a record high above the 2017 peak of 4,751, up 3% on 2024 and 171% on 2010. confirmedas of 2026-02-26

    20. [20]

      On 31 March 2026, a record 135,580 households were in temporary accommodation in England, including 177,530 children. confirmedas of 2026-08-13

    21. [21]

      The UK government expects to publish the autumn 2026 rough sleeping snapshot in early 2027. confirmedas of 2026-02-26

    22. [22]

      HUD released the FY2026 CoC notice on June 1, 2026 and modified it on July 24, 2026. It offers about $4.04 billion, sets aside $1.3 billion for new grants prioritized for transitional housing and supportive services-only projects, and protects 60% of renewal demand in tier 1. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    23. [23]

      The decision was 6-3. Justice Gorsuch wrote for the majority, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh and Barrett; Justice Sotomayor dissented, joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson. confirmedas of 2024-06-28

    24. [24]

      On July 24, 2025, President Trump signed the executive order "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets", which says that moving homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings through civil commitment will restore public order. confirmedas of 2025-07-24

    25. [25]

      HUD released an FY2025 CoC funding notice on November 13, 2025 that prioritized funds differently from previous years; it made only 30% of annual renewal demand available in the protected first tier. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    26. [26]

      Lawsuits were filed in late November and December 2025, and on December 23, 2025 a federal district court in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction staying the FY2025 notice. confirmedas of 2026-07-15

    27. [27]

      The FY2026 Consolidated Appropriations Act, enacted February 3, 2026, directed HUD to renew expiring FY2025 CoC grants noncompetitively and required HUD to fund at least 60% of each applicant's renewal demand in future selections. confirmedas of 2026-09-18

    28. [28]

      HUD announced FY2025 CoC renewal awards in three batches, on March 31, April 27 and May 21, 2026; the May batch was about $2.4 billion for 4,241 projects. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    29. [29]

      HUD received $84.2 billion in gross discretionary appropriations for FY2026; the President's FY2027 request proposes $73.5 billion, about 13% less. confirmedas of 2026-04-30

    30. [30]

      HUD released the 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report, Part 1 (point-in-time estimates), on May 29, 2026. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    31. [31]

      Releasing the 2025 count, HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the "housing first" status quo had failed to meaningfully reduce homelessness; HUD measured trends from 2013, which it described as the start of Housing First policy changes in its programs. confirmedas of 2026-05-29

    32. [32]

      The FY2026 notice is challenged in State of Washington et al. v. HUD and National Alliance to End Homelessness et al. v. HUD in federal court in Rhode Island; the First Circuit said HUD had made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    33. [33]

      On October 2, 2026, HUD announced about $97.7 million in FY2024 CoC Builds funding for 13 projects to create new permanent supportive housing for homeless people with disabilities. confirmedas of 2026-10-02

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created with events through 11 October 2026.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Oct 30, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "Homelessness policy tracker: HUD funding, courts and counts, 2024-2026." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/events/homelessness-policy-tracker

    Spotted an error? Suggest a correction or emailcorrections@contentlora.com.

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