Faith leaders, lawmakers, and housing advocates are uniting to protest significant cuts to housing programs in the United States. On March 12, 2024, a 12-hour vigil titled “Losing Sleep, Losing Homes” will take place at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, aiming to urge the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reconsider its recent funding changes.
The vigil will commence at noon with a series of speakers followed by a candlelight ceremony. This gathering will continue overnight until 7 a.m. on March 13, 2024. It is a direct response to HUD’s announcement last week regarding alterations to access housing funds, which will cap spending for housing linked to voluntary support services. This cap is set to reduce national funding from $2.3 billion to $1.2 billion, raising concerns among advocates about the impact on vulnerable populations.
The proposed changes will affect the Continuum of Care (CoC) grants, which are designed to assist non-profits and state and local governments in their efforts to end homelessness. Advocates warn that these cuts could potentially halve the available supportive housing funds, forcing many programs to shut down.
HUD officials have defended their decision, arguing that the CoC program, which prioritizes housing placements over sobriety, has been ineffective in addressing homelessness. A spokesperson for HUD stated, “Roughly 90% of the last four years CoC awards funneled funding to support the failed ‘Housing First’ ideology, which encourages dependence on endless government handouts while neglecting to address the root causes of homelessness.”
The vigil is inspired in part by the story of Betty Allen, a woman who relies on supportive housing and fears losing her assistance as a result of the budget cuts. Chris LaTondresse, president and chief executive officer at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “The vigil is called losing sleep, losing home,” he said. “It’s us standing in solidarity saying we will lose sleep because too many of our friends, neighbors and fellow Americans and Minnesotans are losing homes.”
The gathering highlights the growing concern among faith leaders and advocates about the future of housing assistance programs in the face of budget cuts. As the vigil approaches, the community is mobilizing to voice their opposition to these changes, underscoring the importance of housing as a fundamental human right.
With the event drawing near, participants hope to bring attention to the critical need for adequate funding to support housing initiatives and to advocate for those at risk of losing their homes. Community leaders assert that the ongoing support for affordable housing is essential to combat homelessness effectively and ensure that all individuals have a place to call home.
