Lane County officials say HUD’s rescinded Continuum of Care grant agreements could delay local services

Amanda Borda, a program services coordinator in the Lane County Human Services accounting division, told the Lane County Poverty and Homelessness Board on March 20 that the county has received FY24 Continuum of Care (CoC) awards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development but is still waiting for finalized grant agreements from HUD.

Borda said HUD sent draft grant agreements in mid‑March, including one for the Shankle MLK project that had a January 1 start date; that agreement arrived late in the day and then was rescinded the following Friday. “We are still awaiting that formal letter from HUD,” Borda said. She added that the agreements included new provisions — referencing compliance with executive orders, limitations on funding certain activities (including a note about abortion funding), immigration‑related language and a statement that HUD would not enforce Housing First compliance — and that the initial rollout appeared to include provisions HUD later determined may be unenforceable.

Board members said the rescission and the federal continuing resolution create uncertainty about whether HUD can obligate the full FY24 allocations and how long revised agreements will take. Steve Adams, policy manager for Lane County, told the board he has been briefed on the rescission and the broader funding shortfall caused by the federal continuing resolution and said HUD may need to reduce obligations because the CR did not appropriate the full amount required to fund all programs selected through the CoC competition.

Several board members urged coordinated advocacy. Commissioner Farr said local leaders should gather anecdotal and service‑level evidence to show the human impact of potential cuts. Mayor Knudson and other jurisdictions discussed preparing materials for an upcoming “United Front” trip to Washington, D.C., to brief the federal delegation about local impacts and ask for assistance.

Board members and staff also discussed potential reach of the new grant language. Borda said the draft agreements identified Lane County as the recipient and that phrasing requiring compliance “with all current executive orders” raised questions about whether obligations could extend beyond activities funded directly by CoC grants to other county programs and subrecipients. Board members emphasized legal review is necessary once HUD issues a revised agreement.

County staff warned that, until signed grant agreements are returned and executed, the county cannot draw down FY24 funds. Services that already began — including the Shankle MLK program, which staff said started on Jan. 1 — are operating without finalized grant agreements pending HUD’s reissuance. Board members said that prolonged delay could force providers to float expenses or reduce services if fund obligations are not formalized.

Why it matters: CoC dollars fund emergency shelter, rapid re‑housing and supportive housing programs across jurisdictions. Local officials said the combination of rescinded grant agreements and a continuing resolution that left CoC funding short of requested amounts could mean reductions for programs in Lane County and elsewhere unless the federal government or other funders intervene.

What comes next: Staff said HUD has not yet provided a timeline for reissuing revised grant agreements. Lane County staff and partners plan to coordinate advocacy through the county’s policy manager and through the upcoming joint delegation visit to Washington, D.C., and to share materials with the board about potential local impacts as more details emerge.

Ending: Board members asked staff to continue sharing updates as HUD revises agreements and to coordinate across jurisdictions on advocacy and messaging.