Legislative Updates: Columbus & Franklin County Continuum of Care Funding
June 23, 2026
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Federal Updates
June 23, 2026
Federal Legislative Update
U.S. Senate Advances 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
On June 22, 2026, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, advancing one of the most significant federal housing policy packages in recent years. The legislation is intended to address housing affordability and increase housing supply through a combination of housing production, homeownership, financing, and regulatory reforms. The bill now moves forward in the federal legislative process.
Key provisions of the legislation include:
- Measures intended to increase housing production and reduce barriers to development
- Limits on future acquisitions of single-family homes by large institutional investors
- Expanded tools intended to support homeownership opportunities and housing affordability
- Enhanced reporting and accountability requirements tied to implementation and oversight
Why it matters
While the legislation does not directly address homelessness services or Continuum of Care funding, it reflects increasing federal attention on housing supply as a critical factor influencing housing stability and affordability.
For Community Shelter Board and Central Ohio, continued focus on expanding housing availability aligns with broader regional conversations around increasing access to housing, strengthening pathways to stability, and advancing long-term solutions that reduce homelessness.
CSB will continue monitoring federal activity and evaluating implications for housing policy, local advocacy priorities, and opportunities that support housing stability across Franklin County and the Central Ohio region.
For more information:
View the Congressional Research Service summary
Federal Legislative Update
HUD Releases FY2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity
On June 1, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), making $4.04 billion available nationwide to support homelessness assistance programs.
The FY2026 NOFO signals an evolving federal approach to homelessness response by placing increased emphasis on treatment, recovery, employment, and long-term self-sufficiency outcomes alongside housing interventions. The funding notice also introduces changes that may increase competition for available resources.
Key updates include:
- Continued investment in homelessness assistance programs through $4.04 billion in national CoC funding availability
- Greater emphasis on treatment, recovery, employment, and pathways toward long-term stability
- Changes to permanent housing funding language, limiting funding “to the extent permitted by law”
- Reduced protected renewal funding, creating a more competitive funding environment for communities
Why it matters
Congress directed through the FY2026 appropriations law that no less than 60% of CoC funding support permanent housing activities. The updated NOFO language introduces new considerations for how communities position projects and demonstrate outcomes within future funding competitions.
For Community Shelter Board and the Columbus + Franklin County Continuum of Care, these changes may influence future funding strategy, project prioritization, system performance measures, and investment decisions across the homelessness response system.
CSB will continue evaluating the NOFO guidance, coordinating with provider partners, and assessing potential impacts to local funding priorities and homelessness response efforts.
What’s next
Applications are due August 26, 2026, with award announcements expected by December 1, 2026, consistent with congressional direction.
Read CSB's NOFO Change Analysis here
February 20, 2026
Federal Legislative Update
HUD Continuum of Care Funding & Homelessness Services
Community Shelter Board (CSB) is monitoring federal funding and legal developments that affect housing and homelessness services in Columbus and Franklin County.
Recent federal action helps ensure that funding for local programs will continue. At the same time, a court case involving the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) may affect how and when future funding competitions are carried out.
Here is what is happening and what it means for our community.
Federal Funding Remains in Place
The FY2026 federal budget includes funding for Continuum of Care (CoC) programs across the country. These programs support housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.
This means communities can continue operating their current programs while federal agencies work through implementation details.
Update: HUD Funding Process and Court Case (February 2026)
HUD is currently involved in a federal court case that affects how it runs the national funding competition for Continuum of Care (CoC) programs.
In December 2025, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction that temporarily stopped HUD from moving forward with parts of its funding process.
In a recent filing in the case, HUD asked the court to dissolve (remove) that preliminary injunction. HUD argues that direction included in the FY2026 federal appropriations law changes the circumstances that led the court to issue the injunction.
If the court grants HUD’s request, HUD has indicated it would move forward with implementing the FY2025 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) released December 19, 2025. This funding competition would apply to projects whose grants expire later in 2026.
The court has been asked to consider HUD’s request, and the outcome remains pending.
You can view the case and filings here:
National Alliance to End Homelessness v. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1:25-cv-00636
What HUD Has Said About Renewing Existing Programs
HUD has indicated that:
- Programs whose grants expire in the first and second quarters of 2026 are expected to receive noncompetitive renewals, meaning they would continue without going through the usual funding competition.
- HUD is already moving forward with second-quarter renewals because the current court order limits its ability to complete the normal process in time.
- This approach would allow HUD to implement the regular funding competition for programs expiring later in 2026, if the court permits.
These plans are based on current federal guidance and could change depending on court decisions.
What Is Still Uncertain
The court has not yet decided whether to lift the preliminary injunction.
The groups that brought the lawsuit are expected to challenge HUD’s request. Because of this, timelines or processes could still change depending on the court’s decision.
What This Means for Columbus and Franklin County
The Columbus and Franklin County Continuum of Care receive about $27.4 million in federal renewal funding across all local programs.
All of our renewal grants run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Because these grants fall within the second-quarter 2026 expiration period, they are expected to receive noncompetitive renewals under current HUD guidance, unless federal direction changes.
In practical terms, this means we expect local programs to continue operating without disruption based on what we know today.
What CSB Is Doing
CSB will continue to:
- Monitor federal policy and court decisions
- Stay in close contact with national partners and local providers
- Share updates if anything changes
- Advocate for stable funding for our community
We will provide new information as soon as it becomes available.
Questions
If you have questions about federal developments or local funding, please contact CSB at:
info@csb.org.
City Legislative Updates
March 19, 2026
Funding Review Advisory Committee Report Underscores Need for Sustainable Investment in Housing Stability
Community Shelter Board (CSB) welcomes the release of the Funding Review Advisory Committee (FRAC) report and recommendations for sustainable and equitable funding strategies in Columbus and Franklin County.
The report is an important contribution to our community’s ongoing conversation about how to sustainably fund the essential services residents rely on every day. For CSB, it also reinforces a critical reality: stable, equitable investment in human services and housing stability is necessary to ensure our homelessness response system remains strong, coordinated, and focused on permanent housing solutions.
As Columbus and Franklin County continue to grow, so do the pressures on the systems that help inpiduals and families remain stably housed. The FRAC report helps advance an important conversation about long-term public investment, coordinated planning, and equitable funding strategies that reflect the scale of community need.
For CSB, the report is especially meaningful because it:
- Reinforces the need for stable funding for human services and housing stability
- Elevates homelessness response as essential community infrastructure
- Supports a more strategic, long-term conversation about sustainable funding
- Strengthens the case for equitable investment in systems serving residents with the greatest needs
- Provides a stronger platform for public engagement and advocacy around housing-focused solutions
CSB appreciates the work of the Advisory Committee and the broader dialogue this report invites. We remain committed to working alongside public, private, and philanthropic partners to advance solutions that make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.