Federal Policy Brief | 1 Jul 2011

Author: National Alliance to End Homelessness

Files: PDF | 99 KB | 1 page

Overview
HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program is the federal government's primary response to homelessness and it plays a key role in the national movement that is underway to prevent and end homelessness. In recent years, over 350 communities have developed ten year plans to end homelessness by focusing on McKinney-funded interventions that actually prevent and end homelessness – rather than just managing its consequences. Many of these plans have already demonstrated success.

Originally enacted in 1987, the Homeless Assistance Grants program has slowly evolved in response to new proven strategies; in 2009, it was reauthorized for the first time since 1992. In May 2009, Congress passed the HEARTH Act, which makes numerous improvements to the program based on lessons learned from communities across the country over recent years. The HEARTH Act increases funding for proven strategies, planning and oversight, and assistance for homeless families and rural communities.

The HEARTH Act expands investments in proven, cost-effective solutions to homelessness, including:

• Rapid re-housing (short-term financial and rental assistance, landlord mediation and other housing search and relocation services, and linking people to employment and physical and behavioral health care services) targeted to homeless families;
• Permanent supportive housing (long-term housing and supportive services) targeted toward people with disabilities who experience long-term and repeated homelessness; and
• Homelessness prevention.

Communities’ investment in these proven solutions helped reduce homelessness among families by 18 percent between 2005 and 2007, and among individuals with disabilities by 35 percent between 2005 and 2009.

In 2009, Congress provided one-time funding through the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) to help communities across the country take rapid re-housing and prevention strategies to scale. The HEARTH Act expands the Emergency Solutions block grant component of the Homeless Assistance Grants program to include homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing activities.

For years, Congress has provided bipartisan support for communities’ efforts to prevent and end homelessness. In order to continue this great progress, Congress should provide a substantial investment in the HEARTH Act to help communities continue to implement these proven strategies and take them to scale.