In a decisive move against the Trump administration, King County has initiated a legal battle in response to stipulations imposed on federal funding for homelessness and housing programs. The lawsuit, backed by a coalition encompassing several local governments and nonprofit organizations, was announced on Monday and filed in the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island, as reported by King County's bulletin.
At the heart of the lawsuit is a challenge to what King County deems "unlawful and unreasonable restrictions" on the Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program, a significant funding source for permanent supportive housing and related services, as per King County. The Trump administration's HUD proposed changes that include lowering the cap on these funds and setting forth eligibility conditions that King County calls potentially disruptive to their current housing strategies. According to the county’s statement, these changes could affect about 4,500 households in King County alone, with funding gaps expected as soon as January due to a delay in new award executions until May 2026.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay articulated the urgency for action, expressing that "The housing crisis demands coordinated action to break the cycle and bring more people inside, especially as we enter the winter months." Zahilay, in a statement made by King County's bulletin, further condemned the federal administration’s measures, which he says "will only worsen the crisis" and vowed to protect federal investments and prevent further displacement of vulnerable individuals.
These stringent regulations, aside from pressuring localities to shift their housing policies, also come with vague directives against projects that might include "racial preferences," and enable HUD oversight based on a range of subjective factors, including media reports and public complaints. State Rep. Nicole Macri stands with Zahilay, asserting, "With thousands of families in King County at risk of losing their homes, I'm proud to join other elected officials in standing up for our neighbors and fighting for the solutions we know work," she told King County's bulletin.
Comprising this national coalition are Santa Clara County, the City and County of San Francisco, Boston, Nashville, Tenn., and Tucson, Ariz., all united in defense of permanent supportive housing and against what they view as punitive and unjust federal overreach.
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