As Congress begins shaping the federal budget for Fiscal Year 2026, it’s critical to understand how the Administration’s proposal – if enacted – would be disastrous for communities like Concord, NH. The National Alliance to End Homelessness has soundly rejected the President’s budget proposal, and here’s why the stakes are so high for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH), our neighbors, and all people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Severe Cuts to Homeless Assistance Grants

    • Elimination of HOPWA and cuts to CoC funding
      • The proposal would fold both HOPWA ($505 million) and Continuum of Care (CoC) grants into the smaller Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) program – zeroing out HOPWA and trimming $27 million from CoC funding.
    • Loss of proven solutions
      • CoC funds support Permanent Supportive Housing for about 170,000 people with disabilities – many who have transitioned out of chronic homelessness. Slashing this funding endangers their housing stability.
    • Risking Rapid Re-Housing for Thousands
      • Nearly 42,000 individuals rely on CoC-funded Rapid Re-Housing. ESG’s narrower eligibility could leave them without support.
    • Undermining the Continuum of Care framework
      • The loss of CoC planning, data systems like the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), youth homeless grants (YHDP), and technical assistance threatens the coordination, accountability, and oversight our local network depends on.

Why this matters in Concord:

CCEH relies on CoC-funded grants to operate our Resource Center and our Permanent Supportive Housing programs. If these funds are gutted or shifted into a one-size-fits-all ESG pot, we lose control of funding priorities and risk key programs collapsing.

Broader HUD Program Cuts Could Spike Homelessness

    • Nearly 44% reduction in affordable housing resources
      • The proposed budget would slash funding for Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s rental assistance programs – Tenant-Based, Public Housing, Project-Based, Section 811, and Section 202 – reducing support for 4.4 million low-income households by $26.7 billion.
    • Elimination of community development tools
      • Critical community-building investments (CDBG, HOME) would be eliminated, weakening our ability to build and repair affordable housing and infrastructure.
    • Undermining fair housing and research
      • Funding for fair housing enforcement would be halved, and HUD’s research capacity cut by 22%, limiting evidenced-based policymaking.

Why this matters in Concord:

These cuts would reduce or eliminate the affordable housing pipeline on which Concord depends. With fewer vouchers and less community investment, housing costs would rise, the number of people at risk would increase, and our ability to build inclusionary housing would be curtailed.

Cuts to Other Vital Safety Net Programs

    • Eliminating LIHEAP
      • Ending the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program would strain families already struggling with housing costs, risking utility shutoffs and evictions.
    • Reduced mental health and addiction funding
      • A proposed 20% cut to key Health and Human Services (HHS) mental health and substance use programs may increase homelessness and overdose risk.
    • Threats to student homelessness support
      • Consolidating the 18 Department of Education programs into one block grant jeopardizes dedicated funding for homeless students.
    • Ending the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
      • The proposed FY26 budget would abolish USICH – a primary federal coordinating body – only allocating $250,000 for its shutdown.

Why Concord Must Speak Out Now

Our city’s strategy to end homelessness depends on a strong federal-state-local partnership. Cuts to HUD, energy assistance, mental health, education, and coordination tools strike at the core of our system. Without these supports, more Concord residents could lost housing, vital services, and pathways to stability.

The Administration’s FY2026 budget proposal threatens to erode the very foundations of homelessness prevention and response – from housing programs to energy support, mental health, and education. For Concord, it’s clear: these are not abstract budget figures – they are the tools that keep our neighbors housed. We cannot afford to lose them.

We urge all community members and leaders to stand with us in urging Congress to reject these cuts and pass a budget that protects our social safety net.

Ending homelessness is within our reach – if we preserve the resources that make change possible.