Nationwide Coalition Challenges Trump Administration's Funding Conditions for Housing and Domestic Violence Prevention Grants

Strategic Insights -

A coalition of 36 organizations across 14 states, including Pennsylvania, has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's new conditions on federal funding for housing and domestic violence prevention grants. The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island announced the lawsuit on Monday, citing concerns that the new conditions, which restrict funding for programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and "gender ideology," would jeopardize decades of progress in caring for survivors and preventing domestic violence.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, involves 22 plaintiffs in Pennsylvania, 13 states, and the District of Columbia.
  • The plaintiffs are seeking to block stricter eligibility requirements that restrict funding for programs that support DEI and "gender ideology."
  • The defendants include U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner.
  • The plaintiffs claim that HHS' recent attempts to limit eligibility based on factors like diversity and gender identity are an unconstitutional maneuver that will imperil the people served by these groups, such as women and children experiencing homelessness.
  • The group, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is joined by domestic violence prevention groups in the District of Columbia and 13 states, including California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
  • The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence is part of the suit.
  • Five Rhode Island organizations are also listed as plaintiffs, including House of Hope Community Development Corporation, Community Care Alliance, Foster Forward, the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, and Haus of Codec.
  • The lawsuit argues that the new requirements leave the plaintiffs in an impossible position and will restrict access to safe and affirming shelter, putting lives at risk.

Statistics:

  • 22 plaintiffs in Pennsylvania
  • 13 states and the District of Columbia are involved in the lawsuit
  • 36 organizations are part of the lawsuit, including 5 Rhode Island organizations
  • The group provides essential services, including shelter, food, clothing, and personal care products, to vulnerable populations, including LGBTQIA+ individuals
  • The coalition relies at least partially on funding programs subject to new eligibility restrictions, including the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Continuum of Care Program
  • The HHS grant policy, updated in April, prescribes that grantees "do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, DEIA, or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws."
  • The HUD lists similar requirements in its eligibility documentation.

Sources:

  • (https://www.riaclu.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/complaint_-_ricadv_v._rfk_jr.pdf)
  • (https://www.riaclu.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/motion_for_tro_-_ricadv_v._rfk_jr.pdf)
  • (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hhs-grants-policy-statement-april-2025.pdf)
  • (https://perma.cc/T4K9-2JW4)
  • (http://v/)
  • (https://perma.cc/3W6K-FGHA)