Overview
- HUD Secretary Scott Turner clashed with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand during a Thursday Senate Appropriations hearing as she demanded his record and the year‑late Point‑in‑Time homelessness report.
- Turner defended cutting HUD’s fiscal 2027 budget by roughly $10.7 billion, while lawmakers from both parties warned the plan would worsen homelessness.
- Advocates said ending or shrinking Continuum of Care, which funds permanent supportive housing, could displace about 170,000 to more than 200,000 people now in stable homes.
- Turner argued the housing‑first approach has failed and said the delayed annual count came from last year’s shutdown and ongoing litigation, while pointing to a 2024 tally of about 770,000 people without housing.
- Local providers reported delayed HUD grants and program strain, with groups in Houston saying they are covering rent for clients without the federal reimbursements they were promised.