Advocacy Update: Section 8 and Health Reform
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National Alliance to End Homelessness
Advocacy Update | January 6, 2010
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Action Needed: HUD Homelessness Programs, Section 8 $, and Health Reform
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Last week, Congress returned from the August recess to consider two critical initiatives related to preventing and ending homelessness: health care reform and the FY 2010 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Bill. The Alliance is committed to ensuring that both of these bills include the tools and resources necessary to combat homelessness, particularly in the face of today's recession.
We need your help! If your Members of Congress serve on a committee with jurisdiction over health care reform (Senate Finance,Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and the House Energy and Commerce Committees) or appropriations (House and Senate Appropriations Committees) it is even MORE critical that they hear from you.
Below is additional information to help you take action on these highly important issues.
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| HUD Appropriations -Protect Households Assisted by Section 8
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Thank your Senators and Representatives for additional funding for Continuum of Care programs, and ask them to take the appropriate steps to ensure that a final FY 2010 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Bill includes funding to fully renew ALL Section 8 Tenant and Project Based rental assistance.
The Alliance greatly appreciates the substantial boost in funding included in both the House and Senate versions of the FY 2010 T-HUD Bill for homeless assistance grants and several affordable housing programs. The recession has placed intense pressure on homelessness programs. This increase will help these programs provide the services that are needed in all our communities and housing for thousands of additional homeless people.
The recession has also created a potential shortfall in both the Section 8 Tenant-Based Rental Assistance and the Project-Based Rental Assistance programs: additional dollars will be needed JUST to continue funding vouchers currently in use. Increases in renewal costs are attributed to declines in tenant incomes due to job loss and an increase in the number of families assisted compared to 2008. The renewal need for the Tenant-Based program for 2010 is estimated to be at least $16.6 billion according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Unfortunately, the House level is $250 million below that estimate, and the Senate level is $299 million below. Even the House funding level would reduce the number of families housed by more than 30,000.
Timing:
It will be important to reach out to Senators and Representatives beginning now and until the bill is considered by a House and Senate conference committee. The Senate began considering the FY 2010 T-HUD bill on September 10 and hopes to finalize a bill by today. The House finalized its version of the bill on July 23. Visit the Alliance's HUD Appropriations webpage for more information about the funding levels included in both versions of the bill. |
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Health Care Reform: Improve Medicaid to Prevent and End Homelessness _______________________________________
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Contact the staff person who works on Medicaid in the offices of your Senators and Representatives (particularly the targets listed above). Ask them to ensure that any health care reform bill moving forward prioritizes the health and well-being of extremely low income households and people with disabilities by including provisions to:
- Expand Medicaid eligibility to include all people living below the federal poverty level, and
- Establish a Coordinated Care Medicaid Program so community service providers can provide coordinated primary health care and mental heath and addiction treatment services.
Additional background materials are available on our website, including Alliance Health Care Reform Recommendations, Coordinated Care Medicaid Program Proposal, and Organizational Sign-On Letter to Congress. Timing:It will be important to reach out to offices this week and next week. The Senate Finance Committee released its health care reform proposal this week and will begin consideration of the bill (in a markup) on September 22. In the House, a bill will not be voted on until the Energy and Commerce Committee holds a final day of markup, which is expected to be scheduled shortly.
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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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