LI is breaking the cycle of homelessness; Washington could restart it

It’s no secret that the number of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness has surged over the past decade. With higher prices and fewer homes, many of our most vulnerable neighbors have had nowhere to go. But here on Long Island, we’ve developed a system to begin breaking that chronic cycle and help keep people off the streets. Now all of that is on the line.

Over the next week, Congress will write the appropriations bills that will determine the future of housing and homelessness on Long Island and beyond. If President Donald Trump’s signature $3.4 trillion fiscal plan slashes funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, it will undermine the solution we have spent decades developing, along with housing security as a whole. ¶Trump is seeking to gut the very programs that serve as lifelines for millions of New Yorkers. These cuts would devastate those who rely on federal funding to keep roofs over their heads — from veterans and seniors to single mothers and people with disabilities.

New York alone could lose more than $4.4 billion in HUD funding, nearly half the state’s federal housing dollars. The budget also proposes a dangerous two-year time limit on aid for many households — a timeline that is untenable for most low-income New Yorkers working to overcome obstacles and get back on their feet.

The impact of these inhumane measures must not be understated. Nearly half a million voucher recipients statewide, 100,000 subsidized Section 8 units, and 164,000 public housing tenants could be stripped of the support they depend on to remain safely and stably housed. That means mass evictions, a destabilized housing market and a rollback of crucial systems that have helped end the cycle of homelessness here on Long Island.

Despite rising rents and an increasingly competitive housing market, the rate of homelessness on Long Island has only risen by 1% from 2016 to 2024. By contrast, the rate of homelessness across the state skyrocketed by 83% during that same period. Long Island is an outlier in comparison with the rest of the state, due in large part to how we make use of our federal housing funds.

On Long Island, nonprofits like Long Island Coalition for the Homeless have leveraged federal funding to develop a unique Coordinated Entry system, allowing us to tailor our treatment to each individual and family we serve. We connect Long Islanders experiencing homelessness with the housing and supportive services most suitable to their needs, enabling them to achieve long-term stability and success.

Our system relies heavily on HUD’s Continuum of Care Program, which provides resources to help nonprofits and state and local governments establish and operate similar processes. This funding has allowed us to develop a system that has broken the cycle of homelessness for thousands of Long Islanders in need.

But without federal funding, we cannot continue this vital work.

If Congress goes through with devastating cuts to HUD, the Continuum of Care Program will disappear — and with it the crucial services it provides. And many of the HUD programs we connect Long Islanders with — like Section 8 and elderly and disabled housing — will be gutted.

We know what works. We know that blindly allocating housing on a first come, first served basis is not as effective as matching people with places most suitable to their needs. We know that broad case management services are no substitute for the one-on-one support we provide. And we know that to break the cycle of homelessness, we need federal resources.

Cutting HUD funding deprives Long Islanders of the housing and supportive services they depend on. We cannot allow the federal government to undo years of progress and put our friends, family members and neighbors in harm’s way.

This guest essay reflects the views of Greta Guarton, executive director at Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.