New Certification Requirements Threaten Critical Services for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors, LGBTQI+ Youth, and Unhoused Communities
A nationwide coalition of domestic violence, sexual assault, housing, youth, and homelessness organizations filed a lawsuit today in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s sweeping and unlawful conditions placed on federal grant funding from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These new funding restrictions target diversity, equity, inclusion, and transgender rights, putting life-saving services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, LGBTQI+ youth, and unhoused communities at risk.
The coalition, which includes state coalitions and service providers from across the country, is asking the court to block the administration from enforcing requirements that push grantees to restrict or deny diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, censor support for transgender individuals, and certify compliance with broad anti-equity mandates, or else face severe penalties, including liability under the False Claims Act. In some programs, the administration has also extended anti-abortion restrictions.
The six Rhode Island organizational plaintiffs in the case are the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, House of Hope Community Development Corporation, Community Care Alliance, Foster Forward, Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, and Haus of Codec.
The other plaintiffs in the case include the California Partnership To End Domestic Violence, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, District Of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Jane Doe Inc. (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault And Domestic Violence), Kansas Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Montana Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, ValorUS, Violence Free Minnesota, Virginia Sexual And Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
The plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward; Jacobson Lawyers Group; National Women’s Law Center; Amy Romero and Mary Dunn for the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island; and Lynette Labinger for the ACLU Foundation of Rhode Island.
Created and authorized by Congress, the affected programs – such as the Violence Against Women Act, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act – have long provided critical support to organizations that serve survivors, families, youth, and unhoused individuals. Through politically motivated funding conditions, the administration is undermining Congress’s clear intent, threatening the effectiveness of these programs, and jeopardizing services that vulnerable communities across the country depend on.
Plaintiff and co-counsel quotes are available here.
Summaries of the RI plaintiffs’ work are available here.
To read the complaint, please click here.
