Overview: The Time for Change Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and families with housing and wraparound services, is at risk of losing funding due to proposed alterations to the HUD federal funds. The Trump administration’s recent budget proposal for 2026 would severely reduce funding for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program, which could disrupt the funding for Time for Change’s permanent housing program. The Foundation has diversified its funding strategies, but federal funding remains crucial for San Bernardino County’s homelessness initiatives.
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Raynesha Belvins is currently training to be a policy advocate for the Time for Change Foundation, a San Bernardino-based nonprofit organization that supports homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals and families with housing and wrap-around services.
But just over a year ago, Raynesha’s circumstances were drastically different. Years before, Raynesha experienced homelessness, drug addiction, and lost custody and parental rights of two of her children. Since she was a child, Raynesha has navigated several challenges and traumatic experiences, many of which she battled as an adult.
“I was drug-addicted, homeless, living in a tent, living in a heavy lifting cart behind Dollar General in 2020,” Raynesha shared.
In 2024, Raynesha was incarcerated and found out she was pregnant. It was during this time Raynesha knew that she was ready to change and rebuild her life. While detained at West Valley Detention Center, a social worker handed Raynesha an in-take application for Time for Change.
Now, just over a year later, Raynesha has her own place for the first time and has custody of her youngest child. Raynesha is one of 706 individuals who was served during the 2023-24 year through Time for Change’s housing programs, supportive services and several other programs offered.
Founded by Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman in 2002, who experienced incarceration and homelessness herself, the Time for Change Foundation offers several housing options for those in need, from emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing to affordable housing for families and individuals. However, Time for Change has relied on funding from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for their permanent supportive housing program, but proposed alterations to the program could disrupt that funding.
Recent changes regarding HUD federal funds may place funding for supportive and permanent housing programs at risk. President Donald Trump’s recent budget proposal for 2026 would severely reduce funding — by $27 million — for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program. His proposal also seeks to redefine this program to be utilized to “assist homeless individuals or those at-risk of homelessness on an emergency, short-term, or medium-term basis” capped at two years.
Housing advocates and homelessness experts argue that doing so would severely limit communities’ ability to use Homeless Assistance funding for permanent housing and supportive services, both of which are crucial tools for addressing the long-term housing needs of those experiencing chronic homelessness.
“Between 2023 and 2024, homelessness increased by 18% [nationally], yet this proposal would strip funding for the HUD’s homelessness programs by 12%. That is a recipe for disaster,” Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said in a press statement. She added that the Trump administration’s recent proposal represents the biggest retreat from addressing homelessness in nearly 40 years.
Funding from HUD has allowed the Time for Change Foundation to support some of the most vulnerable people who otherwise have no way to access supportive services like those offered. Though Time for Change has utilized HUD grants, over the years, foundations and funders have also supported the organization’s work generously. With the administration’s recent DEI restrictions, some funders have become tentative with their support, while others have doubled down.
Federal funding crucial for San Bernardino County’s homelessness initiatives
The HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program is a key source of federal funding to address homelessness by supporting local communities through programs like the Continuum of Care. The program supports local organizations like Time for Change with homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, and permanent supportive housing. The organization currently operates 10 permanent supportive housing locations in San Bernardino County.
The Time for Change Foundation has a current HUD-funded grant totaling $400,000 under the Continuum of Care Program. The grant is renewed annually.
“The services that we provide are very critical to our community, particularly for folks who are experiencing homelessness and who have been in and out of incarceration or come back into society, need a fresh start and a place where they can change,” explained Time for Change Executive Director Dr. Vanessa Perez Trang.
Not only has HUD-funded grants been essential to local nonprofit organizations, but to local governments who rely on the funding to execute crucial homelessness initiatives.
On a single night in 2024, the San Bernardino County Continuum of Care Board conducted a count and identified 4,237 people experiencing homelessness across the county.
The Continuum of Care Board is responsible for developing policies, setting local priorities, and administering federal and state funding for homeless programs, such as the HUD-funded Continuum of Care Program. This includes determining how federal resources are distributed to local projects.
During the 2024 fiscal year, San Bernardino County Continuum of Care was awarded $21,370,964 from HUD, across 18 projects, which included 10 Permanent Supportive Housing projects, four Rapid Re-Housing projects, and one Homeless Management Information System project, among others.
According to San Bernardino County officials, “while not every bed or service is exclusively HUD-funded, HUD-supported programs represent a substantial portion of the county’s homelessness-response system, meaning thousands of residents rely on these resources each year.”
The County shared that reductions in federal homeless funding would have wide-ranging impacts across the region, such as fewer housing placements, reduced case-management capacity, and slower exits from homelessness. Additionally, the county noted that nonprofit organizations could face cash-flow disruptions or be forced to scale back or close projects that rely on Continuum of Care renewal funds to cover rental assistance and supportive-service costs.
Dr. Perez Trang explained that previously, there were more resource opportunities. Time for Change could apply for funding that was specific to the population they serve. Things are different now.
“With the recent changes and the scrutiny and all that, seeing different agencies be either cut or held back or on pause, has affected us because where there would have been an opportunity for us to seek further funding and get resources, now, they don’t exist,” Dr. Perez Trang said.
Diversified funding strategies amidst federal budget concerns
The Time for Change Foundation has been awarded grants to support their work from various local and state foundations, but some of the grants are one-time awards while other funding sources have become difficult to find.
“It’s not like we can go to the same people and ask them for more money. We need to continue to seek other opportunities, and when those other opportunities become scarce or non-existent, then it puts us at risk,” stated Dr. Perez Trang.
While federal mandates restrict federal funding for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives and programs, some local and state funders have continued to support Time for Change’s mission and support of vulnerable communities in the Inland Empire.
Still, some current funders have encouraged Time for Change to be mindful of how their programs are described and to not be too explicit in describing who they serve.
“Everyone right now is going through strategic planning,” said Dr. Perez Trang. Some funders have advised that they be mindful of the language they use when applying for future funding cycles. “…To steer away from any language that could highlight Black and brown and just be very short in our responses,” Dr. Perez Trang shared.
Other funders, however, have stood firm. Time for Change was a recent recipient of the Inland Empire Community Foundation’s IE Black Equity Fund which awards grants to Black-led and Black-serving nonprofit organizations who are doing impactful work in the community.
Dr. Perez Trang explained that the Fund has been super supportive and has stayed true to why it was created and who it was designed for.
Inland Empire Community Foundation Chief Impact Officer Celia Cudiamat stated that the Time for Change Foundation plays a “vital role in breaking cycles of homelessness, incarceration, and poverty” in the Inland Empire where residents struggle with homelessness.
“We know that nonprofits across the Inland Empire are under mounting pressure due to federal funding cuts, particularly those affecting housing, human services, and community development,” Cudiamat noted. With recent federal restrictions, the Foundation created a Community Impact Fund as local nonprofits face financial strain.
In spite of suggestions to be more discreet in their grantwriting, Time for Change has benefited from generous grants from foundations who recognize the services they provide, like the Women’s Foundation California which awarded Time for Change a $500,000 general operating grant last year to use as they see fit.
Women’s Foundation California Program Manager Nina Lopez, who directly supports the grantee relationship with the Time for Change Foundation, likened local nonprofits that serve marginalized and vulnerable communities to first responders. As she noted, they often provide critical services where support is scarce.
“I think that they’re really integral in just protecting and mobilizing the resources that are, and really advocating for additional resources to be poured into the community, rightly so, because that is where it is…where it is the most needed,” Lopez explained. “I think local nonprofits are also trusted messengers for the community, especially right now in the flurry of confusion around funding and executive orders and federal mandates.”
For someone like Raynesha, who lacked support, access and services, Time for Change was more than a trusted messenger, they were a lifeline. Within the year of attending domestic abuse classes, parenting classes, and being placed in emergency housing, Raynesha turned her life around. A social worker noted her progress and Raynesha was allowed to keep custody of her youngest child. Though she lost custody of her other two children, she has been allowed to visit with them as a result of changes to her circumstances.
“Not enough of us know what it is to feel like we’ve actually done something good. And all the supportive services that can be provided when you’re being uplifted, is important because it drives a drastic change for someone who thought that nothing could work for them. It’s something that we need,” Raynesha said. She shared that while training to be a policy advocate with Time for Change, she has learned self-respect and integrity under the organization’s leadership. Raynesha shared how she’s inspired by Dr. Carter-Tillman’s 30-year sobriety journey.
“She’s a real role model because she came from nothing, and she did something with it, and that’s something that I’m empowered to do within myself,” Raynesha explained.
Not only has Time for Change received grant funding from large foundations like the Women’s Foundation California, but Time for Change has also garnered support from other nonprofit organizations, especially with the launch of the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center. Though not a funder, the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, another nonprofit organization, awarded Time for Change a grant for a program that supports entrepreneurship among women of color.
“It’s really important for all nonprofits to support each other, and so I’m grateful that we have an opportunity to support them in a way,” shared Kellie Todd Griffin, founder and CEO of the Institute. “It’s small, but it can be impactful. And for us, we believe that we are each other’s keepers. If we don’t support our own organizations, then who else will?”
According to Todd, as federal funds tighten, along with some philanthropic funding, nonprofit organizations need to work together and ensure that organizations are mutually benefiting each other and collaborating.
Federal funding remains secure for now, but uncertainty looms
As Time for Change navigates a changing landscape, the organization’s leadership is mindful that they must continue to develop other revenue strategies that don’t heavily rely on federal funding.
For now, Dr. Perez Trang shared that their current federal grant funding is safe because the funds have already been allocated.
“As of right now, [those funds] they’re not impacted. Who knows, with the way things are going, those could be threatened at any moment,” Dr. Perez Trang said.
Like many nonprofit leaders, Dr. Perez Trang and her team have been in preparation for the possibility of programs being disrupted by tapping into other grants that may already be supporting their clients.
“We’re just taking necessary precautions through that and making sure that any additional funding that we get may be through private donors, because we’ve been very diverse in our funding. We don’t just put all of our eggs in one basket,” she said.
In addition to foundation grants, Time for Change hosts annual fundraisers and an end-of-year giving campaign. The organization is working to raise more money this year than ever in the event they need the additional cushion down the road.
Lopez emphasized how challenging it is for local nonprofit organizations during this time as they work to adequately serve their community and keep their doors open.
“I think that they’re really important in terms of amplifying community voices. They’re sort of a megaphone for the folks in their communities,” Lopez said. “Oftentimes, they’re led by and for or they’re led by the people in their community.”
Trump’s budget proposal to reduce and redefine HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program could have a resounding impact on hundreds of residents in the Inland Empire who rely on emergency housing services provided by the Time for Change Foundation.
For residents like Raynesha, who have never had permanent housing, but who now lives on her own, the Time for Change Foundation has made a difference.
“Seeing other women who have gradually gotten help from the supportive services of this program, into their own place, that’s something exciting to see because we all come here, different colors, different faces, different ways of thinking, but we’re all on a journey to success,” Raynesha shared. “That’s what these funds are helping [to do].”
This article was reported through a fellowship supported by the Lilly Endowment and administered by the Chronicle of Philanthropy to expand coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. Black Voice News is solely responsible for all content.