Advocacy Update: Urge Senators to Sign McKinney-Vento
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Advocacy Update | 28 Apr 2009
Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness
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Urge Senators to Sign McKinney-Vento Appropriations Letter |
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Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Mel Martinez (R-FL) are seeking signatures on a letter to the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Subcommittee urging them to include $2.2 billion for HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program in fiscal year (FY) 2010. Please join us in urging your Senators to sign on.
Note: The purpose of Congressional appropriations sign-on letters is to show wide support for increased funding for particular federal programs. The offices of Senators Reed and Martinez need your help to secure as many signatures as possible. Your Senators' signatures will demonstrate how critical the McKinney program is to ending homelessness in your state.
Action needed:
Call and email staff in your Senators' DC offices. Congressional office phone numbers can be found by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Ask Senators to sign the FY 2010 McKinney appropriations sign-on letter by WEDNESDAY, MAY 6.
- Mention if the Senator signed a similar letter last year--click here for a list of last year's signers.
- Email a copy of the "Dear Colleague" and FY 2010 letters.
- To sign the letter, staff should contact Andrew Odgren with Senator Reed (202-224-4642) or Jenn Gallagher with Senator Martinez (202-224-3041).
- Make your case. Describe the success of a local McKinney-funded program and what you could do with more resources. Provide local information about homelessness, as well as the impact of the current recession.
NOTE: Staff may say that their office has a policy against signing appropriations letters. If so, ask the Senator to send a personal letter to the T-HUD subcommittee in support.
Act Fast. This type of request typically takes a few days for approval. We need plenty of time to get an answer from staff.
Report Back. Please report responses from Congressional staff to Sarah Kahn ( skahn@naeh.org / 202-942-8259). |
| MORE INFORMATION |
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See the TOOLKIT in the right-hand column for related materials.
A funding level of $2.2 billion is approximately $530 million over the FY 2009 level for homeless assistance grants. This increase will allow communities to advance permanent solutions to homelessness while combating the impact of the current economic crisis. We are extremely grateful for the emergency investment made by Congress in the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). However, those funds are targeted to reversing a potential surge in homelessness resulting from the recession--additional investments will allow communities to make further progress toward their goals of ending homelessness. Next Steps: Yesterday, House and Senate negotiators reached a final compromise on the FY 2010 budget resolution, which should be completed this week. The budget resolution sets targets for spending and it guides the full appropriations committee as it decides how much funding to divvy up to each of its subcommittees. The appropriations subcommittees will begin writing their respective FY 2010 appropriations bills over the next couple of months. This letter to the T-HUD Subcommittee is a critical first step in ensuring that McKinney funding is significantly increased for FY 2010. For more information, please contact Sarah Kahn ( skahn@naeh.org / 202-942- 8259). |
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TOOLKIT
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BUILDING
POLITICAL WILL
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The Alliance works collaboratively with its local, state, and national partners to advance policies and programs that prevent and end homelessness.
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| CONTACT US |
Sarah Kahn
Director of Field Mobilization
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National Alliance to End Homelessness | 1518 K Street, NW Suite 410 | Washington, D.C. | DC | 20005
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