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Advocacy Update: Quarterly Report
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This Quarterly Report includes updates on several different policy and advocacy initiatives, as well as a preview of upcoming opportunities. Specifically, the Quarterly Report details:
- A preview of the upcoming Youth Site Visit Campaign;
- A request to complete a reader survey and interest form;
- A summary of Capitol Hill Day 2010;
- A summary of the current status of FY 2011 appropriations bills; and
- An update on the opportunity to access funding for early childhood home visiting.
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Upcoming Youth Site Visit Campaign
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The Alliance is getting ready to launch a Site Visit Campaign to encourage Members of Congress to visit local programs serving homeless youth. The Campaign is designed to be a collective, national effort to raise the visibility of the issue of youth homelessness among federal policymakers.
To launch the Youth Site Visit Campaign, the Alliance will host a webinar on Wednesday, September 15 at 2 p.m. ET. Presenters will suggest strategies for getting a Member of Congress to accept an invitation to visit a program to see first-hand how the program affects local youth experiencing homelessness. The webinar will also explore strategies and tools for making the most of a site visit.
Youth providers, local officials, and organizations or communities looking to build or strengthen a relationship with their Member of Congress should plan to join this webinar. After the webinar, the Alliance will work individually with interested organizations to strategize about congressional targets and local messages. Click here to register.
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Reader Surveys
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Advocacy Update Reader Survey
The Alliance has launched an online survey to assess the effectiveness and usability of the Advocacy Update. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and will help the Alliance to better match the format and content of the Advocacy Update to readers' needs. Please take a moment to complete the survey before Friday, September 3.
Advocacy Interest Form
The Alliance is also disseminating an 'Interest Form' asking advocates to identify whether they are interested in working on specific issues related to homelessness, such as youth issues, veterans issues, and McKinney-Vento funding. The form also provides an opportunity for advocates to express interest in receiving personalized advocacy training from the Alliance. Please take a few moments to fill out the 'Interest Form.'
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Summary: Capitol Hill Day 2010 Results
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Capitol Hill Day 2010 was held in conjunction with the Alliance's annual National Conference on Ending Homelessness in July. Key stakeholders from across the country visited their congressional offices on Capitol Hill to update them on local progress in ending homelessness and to urge them to make ending homelessness a federal policy priority.
This year, a record 40 states were represented by more than 340 participants. Participants held almost 230 congressional meetings, and more than 45 of those meetings were held with a Member of Congress himself/herself.
Not only was Capitol Hill Day an amazing effort by advocates from around the country, but the effort has already proven effective in advancing legislation, including through an increase in the proposed funding level for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program.
The success of this year's Capitol Hill Day would not have been possible without participants from around the country joining together. Read the Capitol Hill Day 2010 Report for more details of the impact of the event.
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FY 2011 Appropriations Update
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Over the last quarter, Congress has been working on appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2011, which begins October 1. Below is an update on the current progress of funding for key programs.
HUD Funding
On Thursday, July 29, the House passed the FY 2011 appropriations bill allocating funds for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Senate version has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be considered by the full Senate in the coming months. The House legislation includes:
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$2.2 billion for HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, an 18 percent increase over the FY 2010 level. The Senate Appropriations committee has proposed funding at $2.055 billion.
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$19.4 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, which is a $1.2 billion increase over FY 2010. The Senate has proposed providing $19.5 billion.
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$75 million for 10,000 new HUD-VA Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers. The Senate has proposed the same amount.
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$85 million for 10,000 housing vouchers for the Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration. The vouchers are also included in the Senate proposal.
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$350 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program, a $15 million increase over FY 2010. The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed funding this program at $340 million.
Labor, HHS, and Education Funding
On July 28, the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education marked up its FY 2011 spending bill. Full details of the House version, which passed the HHS Appropriations Subcommittee on July 16, are not yet available. The Senate bill includes:
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$159.4 million total for homeless services within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program (an increase of $17 million from FY 2010).
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$123.7 million for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs (an increase of $8 million from FY 2010).
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$75.4 million for Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) programs (an increase of $10 million from FY 2010).
- $3.8 billion for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which provides state grants for job training and employment services (an increase of nearly $163.6 million from FY 2010).
VA Funding
On Wednesday, July 28, the House passed the FY 2011 appropriations bill that allocates funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill includes a total of $800 million for targeted VA programs for homeless veterans. The full Senate has not yet passed its version, but the draft bill includes $799.2 million for targeted VA homelessness programs.
Recess
Both the House and Senate are on summer recess until the week of September 13, at which time they will continue work on FY 2011 spending bills.
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States Planning to Invest $1.5 Billion to Support At-Risk Young Children
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States are now in the process of compiling data about at-risk children for a needs assessment due to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on September 1. The needs assessment will inform the development of a state plan for the use of Early Childhood Home Visiting Program funds within the state.
The Early Childhood Home Visiting Program will receive $1.5 billion over the next five years to support evidence-based home visiting programs that improve the health and development of very young children and reduce child abuse and neglect.
What You Can Do:
- Identify who is developing the needs assessment for the Early Childhood Home Visiting Program in your state.
- Provide those individuals with information about at-risk young children experiencing homelessness in your community.
- Develop an ongoing relationship with those responsible for implementing the program to ensure that homeless children are among those targeted for this critical support.
For more information about the initiative, read the new paper by the Coordinating Center of the Strengthening At Risk and Homeless Young Mothers and Children.
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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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