Changes to a necessary funding opportunity could impactt initiatives to address and end homelessness in Memphis and other communities around the country.
Community Alliance For The Homeless (CAFTH) is responsible for leading the application process for Continuum of Care grant, known as the NOFO [Notice of Funding Opportunities] — an annual funding opportunity offered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Continuum of Care regions around the country.
As the lead agency for Memphis and Shelby County CAFTH submits the application on behalf of the community. According to Errin Woods, COC director for CAFTH, the organization received a little over $12 million to address homelessness in vulnerable populations. The funding has been beneficial to addressing homelessness in the city. Now national groups are closely monitoring potential threats to the funding.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is expecting “sweeping changes” that will affect the fiscal year 2025 NOFO and “quickly and irresponsibly upend homelessness response systems.” The organization cited reporting by Politico that referenced changes to permanent housing caps.
Wood said CAFTH can’t put an exact number on the impact, but said the potential cuts would affect permanent housing in the “total community”.
The impending changes would include funding reductions for organizations that “previously used any type of racial preference or recognized gender non-conforming or transgender people.”
Errin Woods, continuum of care director for CAFTH, said HUD has been “vague” in what this looks like. However, CAFTH expects to be affected by the changes, since the organization has traditionally recognized these individuals when they’ve put systems in place.
“We most likely will not be ranked as high as we have been in the past for that,” Stephanie Reyes, chief operating officer for CAFTH, said. “We are having to pivot in ways that are really challenging for our staff and our personal beliefs. It’s a really complicated time.”
As they navigate challenges, CAFTH has requested that some of the money the city receives through federal resources be allocated towards their response to homelessness.
“From what we understand, crime, beautification, and homelessness are the three things [the National Guard] is here to work on,” Reyes said. “We’re proposing and requesting that some of that money be dedicated to homelessness so we can ensure that individuals who are being picked up in encampment sweeps [and] sleeping outside can be placed into actual programs that will lead to long-term results for them.”
Woods added that the current landscape has pushed them to the forefront as the lead agency in their COC for Memphis and Shelby County, and working with agencies and service providers to look at their homeless response system.
In addition to speaking with local and state leaders, Reyes said the organization is working to get funds on behalf of their community for emergency shelter, food, transportation, and more. She notes that their efforts won’t be enough to meet the needs of those individuals currently being detained or picked up.
