McKinney Reauthorization Bill Introduced:
Call on Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor

Last night, both the House and Senate introduced legislation to reauthorize HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program.  The bill would substantially improve communities' ability to re-house homeless families, people with disabilities, and people with a housing crisis. 
 
S. 808, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, was introduced by Senators Reed (D-RI) and Bond (R-MO) and 11 original co-sponsors.  The House version, H.R. 1877, was introduced by Representatives Moore (D-WI) and Biggert (R-IL) and 5 co-sponsors.  This year's version of the HEARTH Act is almost identical to the version that passed the full House and gained considerable bipartisan support in the Senate in the 110th Congress.
 
The Alliance stongly supports the HEARTH Act (S. 808 /H.R. 1877), and we encourage you to join us in calling on Senators and Representatives to become co-sponsors.

NEXT STEPS:

• Craft your argument.  Below are additional materials and talking points.  Click here to find out if your Member of Congress has sponsored previous versions of this legislation.
• Write, email, and call your Members of Congress and their DC housing staff person. Letters to Members should be faxed.  Congressional office phone numbers can be found by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.  Staff emails typically use the following formula:  bob.smith@mail.house.gov or bob_smith@X.senate.gov (X= Senator's last name).
• Ask Senators to co-sponsor S. 808: To do so, staff can contact Kara Stein with Senator Reed's office (kara_stein@reed.senate.gov / 202-224-4705). 
• Ask Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1877: To do so, staff can contact Andrew Stevens with Representative Moore's office (andrew.stevens@mail.house.gov / 202-225-4572).

Please contact Sarah Kahn with questions and responses from staff (skahn@naeh.org / 202-942-8259)

When final bill language is posted, the Alliance will update you on our McKinney Reauthorization webpage.

• HEARTH Act Summary
• Original Co-Sponsors
• Previous HEARTH Act Co-Sponsors

The Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee unanimously approved similar legislation last year and a version was passed overwhelmingly by the full House.  The bill:

• Increases priority on homeless families with children, by providing new resources for rapid re-housing programs, designating funding to permanently house families, and ensuring that families are included in the chronic homelessness initiative.
• Significantly increases resources to prevent homelessness for people who are at risk of homelessness, doubled up, living in hotels, or in other precarious housing situations through the Emergency Solutions Grant program. 
• Continues to provide incentives for developing permanent supportive housing and provides dedicated funding for permanent housing renewals.
• Grants rural communities greater flexibility in utilizing McKinney funds.
• Modestly expands the definition of homelessness to include people who are losing their housing in the next 14 days and who lack resources or support networks to obtain housing, as well as families and youth who are persistently unstable and lack independent housing and will continue to do so.