By Eric Curl
Oct. 22, 2025 – The ongoing federal government shutdown is creating mounting uncertainty for Savannah-area service providers that rely on federal housing dollars, prompting the Chatham-Savannah Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) to cancel its quarterly meeting and call for public advocacy to protect critical HUD funding.
In an email sent Tuesday to ICH members, Executive Director Stephanie Kaple announced that the group’s fourth-quarter general membership meeting scheduled for Thursday will be postponed “until we have more information and are better able to use the valuable time you all give to our meetings.”
Kaple cited a lack of clarity surrounding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) next Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which supports local homelessness initiatives through the federal Continuum of Care program. The Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless serves as the collaborative applicant for the local grant process, which totals more than $4 million annually for programs operated by the City of Savannah’s City 54, the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless, the Housing Authority of Savannah, and Union Mission.
“We had hoped to have more answers and directions by now; however, at this time we do not,” Kaple wrote.
The email warned that the prolonged shutdown is heightening financial strain for federal employees and service organizations nationwide, creating ripple effects in local communities.
“We know across the country this is already creating additional strains on local services such as food banks and other support services that are now facing an influx of additional clients,” Kaple wrote.
Locally, the uncertainty threatens to disrupt the region’s homelessness response network, which depends on federal funds for housing stability, outreach, and supportive services.
In lieu of this week’s meeting, Kaple urged ICH members and community supporters to contact Georgia’s congressional delegation — Sen. Jon Ossoff, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter — to oppose potential funding caps or cuts to HUD programs.
“Under current federal proposals, up to 65% of this funding could be eliminated or capped, threatening the stability of our local support systems,” the sample email reads.
Kaple stressed that preserving HUD’s homelessness and housing stability programs is “not a partisan issue—it is a matter of community resilience and human dignity.”
“Thousands of our neighbors depend on these services to survive and rebuild their lives,” she wrote. “The sudden loss of funding would jeopardize their safety and well-being and undermine the progress we’ve made together.”
The ICH plans to reschedule its general membership meeting once HUD provides more clarity on the funding process.
Contact Information for Georgia’s Congressional Delegation
- Sen. Jon Ossoff — Email: contact@ossoff.senate.gov
- Local contact: Christian Shellman, Christian_shellman@ossoff.senate.gov
- Sen. Raphael Warnock — Email: contact@warnock.senate.gov
- Local contact: Kristen Fulford, Savannah Office — Kristen_Fulford@warnock.senate.gov
- Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter — Email: buddy.carter@mail.house.gov
- Local contact: Matthew Wirth, Savannah Office — matthew.wirth@mail.house.gov
If you find value in this website, please consider contributing above or via Paypal to help cover the costs. You can also send contributions via Venmo @Savannah_Agenda. Your support, no matter how much you give, is appreciated and will help ensure the future viability of this community resource. You can also show your support by subscribing below and sharing Savannah Agenda with others via email or social media. Increasing readership is critical to the long-term success of this site.
Check out Savannah Agenda’s latest newsletter>
TOP POSTS
