QUEEN CREEK, AZ —
Arizona and a multistate coalition have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's latest attempt to cap funding for permanent housing, a move the states say could leave tens of thousands of people without homes.
Attorney General Kris Mayes said HUD is once again trying to unlawfully limit money for the Continuum of Care program, which supports housing and services for people experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The suit argues the agency has no legal authority to unilaterally rewrite the rules governing the funding.
After losing in court, the federal government is again violating the law and abandoning vulnerable Arizonans. HUD has no legal authority to unilaterally rewrite the rules governing this critical housing funding, and my office will continue to fight to hold the federal government accountable and protect Arizonans.
Mayes said the coalition points to a win last month, when Arizona and other states prevailed in a separate Rhode Island federal case over HUD's earlier attempt to impose illegal conditions on billions in Continuum of Care dollars. The new challenge targets a June 1 notice that creates a $1.3 billion set-aside for new projects that prioritize transitional housing, a shift the states say amounts to a de facto cap on permanent housing. Officials warn the change could put at least 97,000 residents of CoC-funded housing at risk.
Arizona has long grappled with rising homelessness, and the outcome of the case could shape how federal dollars flow to communities across the state. Queen Creek, in Maricopa and Pinal counties southeast of Phoenix, is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Phoenix metro area.
Sources
https://www.azag.gov/press-release/attorney-general-mayes-sues-hud-block-unlawful-changes-funding-addressing
