Democratic senators press Housing secretary on missing homelessness data

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner faced scrutiny from Democratic senators over the agency’s failure to release legally required counts of homeless people, a lapse Catholic Charities USA says undermines efforts to address rising homelessness.

Turner testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development on May 14 about proposed decreases in HUD’s budget from $84.2 billion to $73.5 billion for fiscal 2027.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, pressed Turner about the overdue 2025 Annual Homeless Assessment Report and the Point‑in‑Time Count, both of which provide yearly data on people experiencing homelessness and help lawmakers track trends and allocate aid.

Gillibrand acknowledged “shared goals” to stop funneling aid to programs that do not help people get out of homelessness but challenged Turner on his approach, especially in light of the missing reports.

“If your way, not funding all these programs, is better than the way this committee has tried to address homelessness over decades, I want to see the results,” she said. “Where is the homeless data report? It is over a year late, and that would give us the data to see if your theory about how to address homelessness actually works.”

Turner, a former NFL cornerback, pointed to rising homelessness under the Biden administration despite “record funding,” and blamed the “unprecedented” government shutdown and the administration being in “constant litigation” for the lack of reports.

“Mr. Secretary, I think youʼre obfuscating. What way does litigation slow down your report?” Gillibrand said.

“I just want to know, did you get the number down? Do we have 700,000 homeless still, or is it a million or 1.5 million?” Gillibrand asked. She said the lack of reports “doesnʼt let this committee do our job.”

Ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, also pressed Turner over decreases in HUD’s Continuum of Care grants despite requirements mandated in fiscal 2026. “Mr. Secretary, our bill requires you to get this money out,” she said. “All of the data, all of the research shows that economic factors are driving homelessness.”

Federal grants from HUD’s Continuum of Care directly support Catholic Charities’ ability to provide services to homeless people.

“Access to safe, decent housing is a fundamental human right that should be attainable for all of God’s children, and the Catholic Charities network remains committed to addressing the rising rates of homelessness and the severe lack of affordable housing around the nation,” Kevin Brennan, vice president for Catholic Charities USA, told EWTN News.

“Catholic Charities USA and its 169 member agencies use the Annual Homeless Assessment Report and the Point-in-Time Count as tools in evaluating the level of homelessness locally and across the country, seeking to alleviate that urgent need,” he said.

“Importantly, these reports also help state housing finance agencies set goals and priorities in Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs), including tax credits and set-aside programs,” he said. “Catholic Charities agencies use this data to comment on local QAPs and advocate for directing resources to those with the greatest need,” he said.

Housing rule change

Turner also faced questions on May 12 at a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee hearing about a proposed HUD rule change that could cause families to lose federal housing assistance if some family members lack legal immigration status.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has voiced opposition to the rule change, warning it would “require these families to make a heartbreaking choice — endure family separation so that eligible members could continue to qualify for critical subsidized housing programs or stay together and forfeit any housing assistance.”

At the hearing on May 12, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, asked Turner how the housing rule might impact mixed-status families.

Turner said, “Families have to make good decisions within the family. If you’re making a decision that impacts your family negatively, then that’s a decision that the family made, not the U.S. government.”

Source: https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/democratic-senators-press-housing-secretary-on-missing-homelessness-data