Published On: May 6, 20252.3 min read464 words

On Friday, May 2, the Administration released a short version of its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget proposal. Every year at the beginning of the appropriations cycle, the Presidential Administration submits a budget request to Congress for the upcoming FY that outlines their funding priorities and policy goals. The “skinny budget” proposal the Administration released on Friday was not very detailed, but did include $163 billion in cuts to domestic programs and agencies and a 13 percent increase in defense spending. The Administration is expected to release their full budget proposal in June.

Proposed cuts include:

  • $33 billion cut to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This includes eliminating the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. There is no information about funding changes to the Family and Youth Services Bureau, which oversees the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program. However, a budget proposal that leaked from HHS a few weeks ago recommended flat funding for RHYA.
  • $532 million cut to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG). HAG funds local Continuums of Care (CoC), as well as the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program and Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement grants. The proposal consolidates the CoC and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS programs into the Emergency Solutions Grants program.
  • $12 billion cut to the Department of Education. The proposal consolidates 18 federal education programs, but does not specify which ones. There is nothing included specifically about the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program.

The President’s budget indicates the priorities of the administration, but is not law. Congress will ultimately decide on funding levels. No Congress has ever fully implemented a President’s budget proposal.

Now is a critical time to make sure Congress understands how vital the programs we care about are to youth, young adults, and young families experiencing homelessness. Please visit our Federal Appropriations Take Action Page to learn how you can send three very important, very easy messages to your Members of Congress in support of RHYA and EHCY.

Three steps you can take right now:

  1. Ask your House Representative to sign on to the FY 2026 Appropriations House Dear Colleague Letter by completing the FY26 House DCL Take Action Form.
  2. Ask both your Senators to sign on to the FY 2026 Appropriations Senate Dear Colleague Letter by completing the FY26 Senate DCL Take Action Form.
  3. Send a direct email to all three of your Members of Congress to ask them to make a personal funding request for RHYA and EHCY for FY 2026 appropriations by completing the Personal Funding Request Take Action Form.

We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. In the meantime, please keep reaching out to your members of Congress—your advocacy makes a real difference. If you have any questions, please email trinady.maddock@nn4youth.org.