To: Contra Costa County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners
From: Joseph Villarreal, Executive Director
Report Title: REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS FUNDING CUTS
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
CONSIDER accepting a report on the status of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) homeless programs funding cuts.
BACKGROUND:
The cuts faced by HACCC are based on the earlier than planned end of the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program which has previously been communicated to the Board along with HUD’s decision on November 14, 2025, to limit Continuum of Care (CoC) funding for permanent supportive housing to no more than 30% of each CoC’s total funding pool. The change in the CoC rules directly affects HACCC’s Shelter Plus Care and Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) programs. Our partners in these programs are the County’s Health, Housing and Homeless program along with the nonprofit HOPE Solutions. These cuts will also indirectly affect several of HACCC’s project-based voucher sites. These are separate from the PBRA units.
The cuts to HACCC’s programs will first impact the Shelter Plus Care program beginning April 1, 2026. Because the CoC changes are so recent, so sudden, and, combined with the EHV cuts, so significant in scale, staff are still working out how many, if any, households it will be able to continue housing in any of its programs. Staff will update the Board at its December 9, 2025, meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Based on 2025 funding levels, HUD’s pending cuts will cost the Housing Authority (HACCC) approximately $14,580,472 in funding dedicated to homeless households in 2026. This funding supports permanent housing for as many as 550 households.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
None. Informational item only.