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Hill Update
House Appropriations Committee to Mark Up
Economic Recovery Bill Today
Today, January 21, the full House Appropriations
Committee is scheduled to mark up its portion of the
draft economic recovery legislation, HR 598, released
by House Democrats last Thursday, January 15. The
approximately $825 billion bill, known as the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, included a
number of provisions related to housing and
homelessness, including $1.5 billion for the
Emergency Shelter Grant program for short-term
rental assistance, housing relocation, and
stabilization services for families. Other House
committees are also scheduled to mark up the
legislation this week. The bill is likely to be on the
House floor as early as next week. The Senate has
not yet released its version of the bill, S 1. House
Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) has
indicated that the House plans to consider the
omnibus fiscal year (FY) 2009 spending bill the week
of February 2, while the Senate considers the
economic recovery package. Democratic leaders
have threatened that if the economic recovery bill is
not finished by February 13, Congress will stay in
town, instead of going on a one week recess for
President's Day.
Economic Recovery Appropriations
Summary
Senate to Confirm Donovan as HUD
Secretary
Last Tuesday, January 13, the Senate Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a
confirmation hearing on the nomination of Shaun
Donovan for Secretary of the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At the
hearing, Mr. Donovan promised to lead HUD in a
more aggressive effort to promote affordable housing
and alleviate the mortgage crisis. The full Senate is
expected to confirm Mr. Donovan shortly. Click here to watch the
hearing.
President Obama Sworn In
Yesterday, January 20, Barack Obama was sworn in
as President of the United States. President Obama
has pledged support for a number of issues important
to homeless advocates, including a "zero tolerance"
policy toward homelessness among veterans. The
new Administration has stated that it supports funding
the National Housing Trust Fund and the Community
Development Block Grant program, increasing the
minimum wage, and expanding the Earned Income
Tax Credit.
National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness
The Alliance is hosting the 2009 National Conference
on Ending Family Homelessness on February 12-13,
2009 in San Diego, CA. In the opening plenary, San
Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders will welcome conference
attendees to San Diego. Among the featured
workshops will be "The
Intersection of Child Welfare and Homelessness,"
which will highlight the findings of national researcher
Dr. Mark Courtney and the experiences of
Commissioner John Wagner from the California
Department of Child Welfare. The workshop will
facilitate a discussion about the audiences'
experiences and recommendations to improve policy
for child welfare-involved families and youth
transitioning from foster care, many of whom become
parents shortly after the transition. Dr. Courtney and
Commissioner Wagner will also discuss the
connection between the child welfare system and
homelessness, as well as the need of youth exiting
the foster care system.
Register for the conference by January 27,
2009 in order to receive the extended early
registration rate of $350. Register online
now! In addition, based upon availability, the
conference hotel, Sheraton
San
Diego Hotel and Marina, has extended the special
conference hotel room rate of $189/night until
February 8. For details on how to
make your reservation, click here.
Alliance and Schwab Foundation Release Report on Shifting to Housing First
The experience of nine organizations that shifted to a
Housing First approach for families is the focus of a
new report released by the Alliance and The Charles
and Helen Schwab Foundation. The nine
organizations received planning grants, support, and
funding from the Schwab Foundation to explore and
implement a Housing First approach. The report,
prepared by LaFrance Associates in San Francisco,
highlights the lessons learned by the nine
organizations and includes three case studies.
Among the shifts adopted by the organizations as a
result of the initiative were a greater focus on
shortening the length of stays in shelter, increased
use of prevention and activities to support rapid
re-housing, support for children after re-housing,
increased use of a harm reduction approach, and
expansion of permanent supportive housing.
Fannie Mae Announces Real Estate Owned Rental Policy
Last Tuesday, January 13, Fannie Mae announced
that it would institute a National Real Estate Owned
(REO) Rental Policy. The new policy will allow eligible
renters living in foreclosed properties owned by
Fannie Mae to remain in their homes. It will apply to
all renters that occupy foreclosed properties at the
time that Fannie Mae acquires the property. Eligible
properties include two- to four-unit properties, condos,
co-ops, single-family detached homes, manufactured
housing, and any other type of single family property.
Qualified renters will be offered the choice between a
new month-to-month lease or financial assistance in
transitioning to new housing. Renters will be asked to
pay market rate rent if they remain in their homes.
Property managers are contacting renters on behalf of
Fannie Mae to notify them of their options. The new
policy is likely to be fully operationalized by January 31,
which is when the eviction suspension ends. Freddie
Mac has not announced a similar policy, though the
company has suspended evictions
until January 31.
In the Media: Obama Visits Homeless Youth Shelter
On Monday, January 19, multiple media sources,
including CNN national news, reported on
then-President-elect Obama's visit to Sasha Bruce
Youthwork (SBY), the only shelter in Washington, D.C.
for homeless youth under the age of 18. Obama
called on the nation to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. with a national day of service.
Alongside a group of D.C. area adults and youth,
Obama painted a wall at the shelter in an effort to
renovate the building. Washington, D.C. can
document services to nearly 1,400 homeless youth
annually, but has only 38 total shelter beds and 80
transitional and supportive housing units dedicated to
youth. SBY offers a range of supportive services to
homeless and at-risk youth, including shelter care,
case management, transitional housing, after-school
programming, and family counseling.
Watch the
Associated Press Video
Save the Date! 2009 Annual Conference
Mark your calendars now. The National Conference
on Ending Homelessness will take place July 29-31,
2009 at the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel in
Washington, D.C. Further information will be
published on the Alliance website as it becomes
available.
Support the Alliance in Your Workplace Campaign
The United Way and the Combined Federal
Campaign (CFC) are wonderful and easy
opportunities to contribute to the National Alliance to
End Homelessness. All gifts to the Alliance go directly
toward our work of ending homelessness through
building capacity, improving policy, and educating
opinion leaders. The Alliance's national code for the
CFC is 10022. For United Way campaigns, the
Alliance's IRS
identification number is 52-1299641.
For more information on how to contribute,
please contact Elizabeth Roche, Director of
Development, at eroche@naeh.org
or 202.942.8284.
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