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Trump’s shift from 'Housing First' is causing upheaval for homelessness programs and many they serve

Trump’s shift from 'Housing First' is causing upheaval for homelessness programs and many they serve

The Trump administration is shifting federal policy and dollars away from the “Housing First” approach that has been at the heart of federal homelessness policy

Takeaways from the AP's story about the Trump administration's effort to end 'Housing First'

Takeaways from the AP's story about the Trump administration's effort to end 'Housing First'

President Donald Trump's administration is rapidly shifting away from the approach at the heart of federal homelessness policy

HUD Policy Shift Prioritizes Temporary Housing, Sparks Lawsuits and Funding Concerns

HUD Policy Shift Prioritizes Temporary Housing, Sparks Lawsuits and Funding Concerns

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is implementing major policy changes for its $4 billion grant program to reduce homelessness, shifting funding away from long-term subsidized housing towards initiatives that prioritize transitional or temporary housing, as well as supportive services without housing. HUD Secretary Scott Turner has criticized the long-held 'Housing First' model, which provides permanent housing without preconditions, calling it a 'failure' and stating that 'housing alone will not solve a crisis driven by addiction and mental illness.' Under the new rules, approximately $1.3 billion, or about a third of the funding, is being set aside for new projects focusing on transitional housing and services like job training and substance use treatment. This shift has led to lawsuits from non-profits and local governments, including Santa Clara County, challenging the new funding restrictions. A federal judge initially ordered HUD to discard its application process due to lack...

EPA Region 10 Partners with Boise to Expand Food Waste Prevention Initiatives

EPA Region 10 Partners with Boise to Expand Food Waste Prevention Initiatives

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 has announced a partnership with the city of Boise, Idaho, to enhance food waste reduction efforts as part of the EPA's 'Feed It Onward' initiative. This collaboration was highlighted during Food Waste Prevention Week, showcasing Boise's innovative local solutions. EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon praised Boise's commitment, noting its residential composting program now serves 97% of households. This program diverts over one-third of Boise's residential waste from landfills annually, converting food scraps into nutrient-rich compost for local parks, gardens, and agriculture. The city also launched a free Food Scrap Drop Off Program in 2024, providing composting access to residents in apartments and homes without curbside service, with over 450 participants utilizing four drop-off locations by August 2026. Participants receive monthly newsletters with tips on food storage, preservation, recipes, and meal planning.

Charleston County Proposes Reallocating $1 Million in Federal Funds to New Affordable Housing Project

Charleston County Proposes Reallocating $1 Million in Federal Funds to New Affordable Housing Project

Charleston County, South Carolina, is considering reallocating $1 million in federal pandemic relief funds, originally designated for the delayed 275 Huger Street project, to a new affordable housing initiative called Eastside Flats. The current funds, tied to an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) program, must be spent by the end of the year. The proposed Eastside Flats project aims to develop 52 affordable apartments in downtown Charleston on three empty lots on Aiken Street. Eric Davis, Charleston County director of housing and land management, stated that the reallocation request is before the county council because the 275 Huger Street project will not be able to utilize the funding before the expenditure deadline. If approved, the $1 million would assist the Humanities Foundation in purchasing the three parcels from the city of Charleston, a crucial first step for the project.

U.S. Department of the Treasury Seeks Public Comment on Revised SIPPRA Funding Opportunity

U.S. Department of the Treasury Seeks Public Comment on Revised SIPPRA Funding Opportunity

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is currently seeking public comment on a revised third Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA). This initiative, signed into law on February 9, 2018, aims to enhance the effectiveness of various social services. The SIPPRA program operates on a 'pay for results partnership' model, meaning the federal government only disburses funds if predefined project outcomes are achieved and independently verified. Congress allocated $100 million for the SIPPRA program to support 'Social Impact Partnership Demonstration Projects' and related feasibility studies. The Treasury Department is the primary administrator of this program. Interested parties can submit their comments on the draft NOFO through Regulations.gov or by emailing the SIPPRA team at SIPPRA@treasury.gov. The deadline for submitting comments is May 11, 2026.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center Rallies on Capitol Hill Against Proposed NIH Funding Cuts

Columbia University Irving Medical Center Rallies on Capitol Hill Against Proposed NIH Funding Cuts

The Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) recently organized a rally on Capitol Hill to advocate for sustained and increased funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This comes in response to the President’s budget request for the 2027 federal fiscal year, which proposes a 12% cut to NIH funding. A contingent of 15 students, faculty, and staff from various schools within Columbia, including VP&S, School of Nursing, Teachers College, and School of Social Work, met with staff from the New York and New Jersey Congressional delegations. Ross Frommer, vice president of government affairs at CUIMC, emphasized the importance of educating policymakers about the role of NIH-funded research in medical innovation. This year's rally, held on September 17, brought together over 300 participants from more than 40 states, marking it as the second-largest rally since the event's inception in 2013, which was also initiated in response to threatened NIH budget cuts. Last year, a proposed 40% NIH budg...

U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz Advocates for Public Access to HHS Health Data

U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz Advocates for Public Access to HHS Health Data

U.S. Representative Cliff Bentz (OR-02) has sponsored the Public Access to HHS Health Data Act. This legislation aims to improve the healthcare system by making important federal health data more accessible to states, lawmakers, and the public. The bill mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) create and maintain a centralized, publicly accessible repository for its datasets. This repository is intended to facilitate oversight, research, and program-integrity activities. Representative Bentz emphasized that access to data is essential for improving healthcare. The initiative is part of a broader package of 14 bills introduced by Energy and Commerce Republicans, focusing on streamlining data collection, bolstering anti-fraud enforcement, and incentivizing fraud-fighting efforts within federally funded health programs. The goal is to protect taxpayer dollars and safeguard programs like Medicaid from fraud, waste, and improper payments.

Airbnb Invests $6.4 Million in Austin Affordable Housing Project, Revitalizing St. John Site

Airbnb Invests $6.4 Million in Austin Affordable Housing Project, Revitalizing St. John Site

Airbnb has announced a $6.4 million investment in northeast Austin to fund affordable housing, specifically targeting the St. John Avenue site. This investment is part of Airbnb’s Housing Accelerator program and aims to create 201 units of affordable housing, with a companion project adding 325 units of mixed-income housing. The St. John site, owned by the city since 2013, has been vacant for nearly 20 years. In 2017, then-City Council member Greg Casar, now a U.S. congressman representing Austin, passed a resolution to reimagine the plot of land. Although the City Council approved the project in 2020, it stalled for five years due to a lack of funding, despite significant community support. Airbnb's investment will provide the necessary funding to move the project forward. The company's Housing Accelerator program seeks to address the national housing shortage by tackling financing, data, policy reform, and innovation.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Hosts First-Ever Senate Hearing on Menopause Care Gaps

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Hosts First-Ever Senate Hearing on Menopause Care Gaps

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, recently hosted the first-ever Congressional hearing focused on menopause-related healthcare services. Titled 'Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America,' the hearing on September 16 addressed the significant void in care impacting an estimated 75 million people. Expert witnesses at the hearing highlighted various barriers to adequate menopause care, emphasizing the urgent need for increased research and standardized training for healthcare professionals in this field. The initiative by Senator Gillibrand aims to bring long-overdue attention to a critical aspect of women's health that has historically been overlooked within the healthcare system.

U.S. Representative Mfume Introduces Bill to Rejoin World Health Organization and Address Ebola Outbreak

U.S. Representative Mfume Introduces Bill to Rejoin World Health Organization and Address Ebola Outbreak

U.S. Representative Kweisi Mfume (Democrat-MD-7th District) has introduced H.R.10345, a new bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, which mandates the United States to rejoin the World Health Organization (WHO). The legislation, introduced on September 10, 2026, during the 119th Congress's regular session, aims to bolster the U.S. response to global infectious disease threats through renewed participation in the WHO. The bill specifically addresses the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, highlighting the rapid spread of the 2026 outbreak and the necessity for a robust public health response to prevent a crisis similar to the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. The bill requires the President, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to reestablish U.S. membership in the WHO within 30 days of its enactment and to cooperate with the organization to combat the current outbreak. Additionally, it authorizes appropriations for restoring U.S. contributions to the WHO and supporting internatio...

Micron forecasts quarterly revenue, profit above estimates on AI memory demand

Micron forecasts quarterly revenue, profit above estimates on AI memory demand

By Anhata Rooprai Sept 30 (Reuters) - Micron Technology forecast quarterly revenue above estimates on Wednesday, signaling it expects the AI-driven memory chip boom to continue powering its growth. Shares of the Boise, Idaho-based company rose over 1% in extended trading.