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Senate Passes Second Chance Act

Last Tuesday, March 11, the U.S. Senate passed the Second Chance Act, H.R. 1593, by unanimous consent, sending the bill to the President for his signature. The Senate passage of the Second Chance Act, which passed the House of Representatives in November 2007, represents a significant victory for advocates working on prisoner reentry issues. The Second Chance Act was first introduced in mid-2004, and over the past couple of years has come close to passage several times, but, until now, has been held up by a small number of Senators.

The Second Chance Act has been explicitly billed as a "first step" in developing a more effective federal response to the problem of people leaving corrections without adequate support. The bill will reauthorize and revise an existing grant program within the Department of Justice, providing money to states for reentry programs; create a federal interagency task force to study and coordinate policy; commission a number of research projects including a study of barriers in federal policy to successful reentry; and authorize grants from the Justice Department directly to nonprofits for reentry programs. Housing is a key part of any reentry strategy, and it is addressed in a number of important ways in the Second Chance Act.

Hearings on HUD Appropriations
Last week, Congress held several hearings on the Administration's fiscal year (FY) 2009 appropriations request for HUD programs. The House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA); the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT); and the Senate T-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) all held hearings. HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, as well as several other HUD officials, testified at the hearings.

In the Administration's FY 2009 budget request,

House and Senate Pass Budget Resolutions
Last week, both the House and the Senate passed budget resolutions. The House resolution, H.Con.Res. 312, would provide $22 billion more in discretionary spending than the Administration's request, compared to the Senate resolution, S.Con.Res. 70, which would provide $18 billion more. Both budget resolutions passed largely along party lines, with few Republicans voting in favor. The House and Senate will reconcile their respective resolutions after the Congressional recess.

Though not binding, budget resolutions serve as a guide for the annual appropriations process.

Congress on Recess
The House and Senate are on Congressional recess and will return on March 31.

NLIHC: How Much Can a Family Afford?

The National Low Income Housing Coalition released a primer on the housing cost-to-income ratio and the according rule of thumb, a traditional guideline stating that housing should not exceed 30 percent of a family's budget. The report found that the measure "has not been set or adjusted based on any timely empirical research," nor does it take into account what individuals actually pay for housing. As a result, large numbers of people often pay too much for housing, while others pay less than what is seen as reasonable. The report comprehensively examines the affordability standard and provides overviews of alternative approaches to determining tenant rents.

In the Media: New Orleans

Central City Concern to Receive the Nonprofit Sector Achievement Award

On April 9, 2008, the Alliance will hold its Annual Awards Ceremony honoring private, nonprofit, and public sector leaders who are making a difference in ending homelessness. The event will be held at the Terrace Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. This year's nonprofit sector awardee is Central City Concern of Portland, Oregon. Richard Harris, executive director of Central City Concern, will be accepting the award on behalf of the organization.

Since 1979, Central City Concern's (CCC) programmatic approach to housing the homeless population in the Portland metro area has facilitated personal change by providing housing that is supportive of recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. An innovator and leader in the field, CCC's involvement in housing the city's homeless population has been invaluable in helping Portland achieve a 13 percent decline in homelessness, including a 39 percent reduction in the unsheltered count and a 70 percent drop in the chronically homeless population sleeping outside over a two-year period ending June 2007. CCC's integration of affordable housing with supportive services encourages recovery by promoting supportive peer relationships in a community setting, helping participants achieve legitimate income, and positively transforming their world view and self image. In addition to focusing on their own recovery, participants in the program are encouraged to realize the positive change they can make by giving back to the community.

As a nonprofit agency serving single adults and families, CCC realized decades ago that safe housing was of paramount importance to both those in recovery and the neighborhood at large. Its work in renovating urban, single room occupancy housing became a standard for other nonprofit housing organizations and attracted national attention due to its groundbreaking Alcohol and Drug Free Communities. CCC now operates more than 1,400 units of housing in 20 different buildings across the Portland metro area. An upcoming renovation project will add 176 units of affordable housing in 2010. As its portfolio of affordable housing units has increased, CCC has added an employment training and work opportunity program to supplement its alcohol and drug recovery program and to increase the likelihood that participants reach self-sufficiency and remain successfully housed.