Advocate
Federal Advocacy
On December 8th, HUD withdrew the Notice of Federal Opportunity (NOFO)
In an unprecedented move, HUD withdrew the NOFO 90 minutes before its first legal court case, one of at least two that were filed within the last two weeks. While this removes the immediate NOFO pressure, it does not eliminate the funding cliff that is ahead as homeless service contracts nationwide begin to expire in January 2026. HUD has formally stated to the courts that they plan to re-issue this NOFO.
So, What's Next?
On December 15, 2025, HUD is required to explain to the judge its decision to rescind the notice and all parties will meet on December 19th, when the judge is expected to issue a final ruling. We anticipate HUD will work to re-issue the NOFO with technical changes as promised. The rescinded NOFO violates the Administrative Procedures Act, the McKinney Vento Act, and the American with Disabilities Act. It would stand to reason that significant violations would require significant time to remedy.
What Should I tell my congressional delegation?
Time is of the essence and given the short turnaround time between now and when contracts begin to end, it makes sense to urge Congress to act. Through the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bills, Congress can authorize a one-year renewal bridge to prevent immediate displacement, place clear guardrails on any reissued NOFOs to protect existing projects while legal questions are resolved, and require transparency and enforceable timelines so administrative delay does not become de facto policy change. Whether people remain housed long enough to see a final legal resolution now depends entirely on what Congress chooses to write into THUD.
Published November 20, 2025
Historic context: Currently Released Notice of Federal Opportunity (NOFO) Drastically Reduces Services for the Most Vulnerable in Iowa
In alignment with President Trump's policies, the federal NOFO, originally designed to be a two year funding process expiring in 2026, was re-released on November 13 with dramatically shifted requirements, funding caps of 30% on the most intensive housing supports, work or volunteer requirements, and a requirement for unsheltered individuals receive substance use treatment as a condition of housing. If implemented, Polk County will have to reduce Permanent Supportive Housing from 82% to 30% of total allocated funding, resulting in at least 83 families and 151 individuals losing housing in Polk County. This would also have significant detrimental impact on an already strapped substance use treatment system, requiring beds that do not exist and filling any remaining beds with individuals who may not yet be ready for treatment. The results will be catastrophic; with individuals cycling between the streets, hospitals, and jail. This will create significant costs to local government services, overwhelm medical providers, and traumatize our neighbors and children. Trauma that will last a lifetime.
We encourage you to contact your federal delegation immediately. Request an inclusion of a provision in the appropriations bill to renew all eligible existing CoC program grants that expire in calendar year 2026.
To find out who your federal delegate is or their contact information, please visit U.S. Congressional website at: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
November 2025 State-wide Impact Educational Sheet
November 2025 House of Representative sample letter (tailored for Polk County. Editing required)
November 2025 Senator sample letter (tailored for Polk County. Editing required)
*ACTION ALERTS*
Often times, legislative action occurs with little to no warning and requires mobilization of advocates to contact their respective legislators. Complete the form below to be added to the Action Alert newsletter.
Who are my state legislators?
Often times, it can be difficult to track who is your local State Senator and Representative. That information can be found at www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find
State Advocacy
Legislative Priority 1: Increase Housing First and Supportive Services (evidence-based practices) to Reduce Homelessness
On March 4, 2025, Senate Study Bill 1195 was introduced for consideration by the Senate Local Government committee. A companion bill, House Study Bill 286 was introduced in the House. This legislation goes against best practices and criminalizes homelessness, requiring city-created encampments, punishes any entity who assists those who are homeless, and mandates arduous reporting requirements. Cities could also be financially punished for not arresting individuals experiencing homelessness. This specific legislation is backed by the Cicero Institute. While this legislation did not advance through funnel, we remain vigilant to see if elements of it resurface in amendments tacked on to other pieces of legislation.
For talking points on how to respond to legislation criminalizing homelessness, please see the Housing not Handcuffs talking points HERE.
Additional local talking points can be found HERE.
Legislative Priority 2: Eviction Expungement
Homeward continues to advocate for eviction expungement . Currently, Iowa has no process to seal an eviction even if the eviction was resolved prior to going to court or if the eviction was made in error. Work still continues and HSB261 and SSB 1204 still remain after funnel. Amendments will be needed to each of these bills to effectively create eviction expungement.
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Eviction Expungement talking points can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet to understanding homelessness in Iowa can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet to understand how Iowa data compares to surrounding states, can be found HERE.
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A fact sheet published by Iowa Legal Aid related to 2023 and January 2024 eviction filings in Iowa can be found HERE.
For more on eviction record sealing and expungement, please see the National Low Income Housing Coalition's toolkit on Eviction Record Sealing and Expungement.
Iowa Homeless Coalition
Throughout 2024, several providers across the state came together to form the Iowa Homeless Coalition. This coalition of providers across the state is committed to addressing homelessness and housing issues. Our mission includes:
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Advocating for housing and homelessness policy at the state level.
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Raising public awareness about homelessness and housing instability.
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Enhancing communication among housing and homeless service providers.
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Offering relevant training for member agencies.
Current Board members include Ben Brustkern, Julie Eberbach, Angie Arthur, Heather Harney, Brandy Waller, J’nae Peterman, Crissy Canganelli, and Courtney Guntly.
If you would like to learn more about how your agency can join the Iowa Homeless Coalition, please contact Courtney Guntly or any of the board members listed above.
Advocates speak out against criminalizing homelessness. Over 430 public comments were logged against the 2025 bills. Social media posts were shared over 170 times and hundreds of individuals against criminalizing homelessness showed up at the virtual meeting while over others braved a blizzard to pack the rooms in person to testify against this harmful legislation. Thank you for showing up for our unsheltered neighbors!