Advocacy Update: Senate to Consider HEARTH Act
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National Alliance to End Homelessness
Advocacy Update | June 12, 2009
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Senate to Consider the HEARTH Act |
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The full Senate will vote on an amendment, introduced by Senators Reed (D-RI) and Bond (R-MO), to attach the HEARTH Act to a larger housing bill, S. 896, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act. If the amendment passes, we are one large step closer to making significant improvements to the McKinney program. The final vote on S. 896 will take place as soon as this evening. We need everyone's help to ensure that both the amendment and the bill pass.
Please call your Senators ASAP and ask them to VOTE FOR the Reed/Bond Amendment on Homelessness Reform (amendment # 1040) and pass S. 896 when they are considered by the Senate TODAY.
- To do so, ask to speak with the staff person in your Senators' offices who work on housing and homelessness issues. Office phone numbers can be found by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Below is a link to additional materials and talking points that will help you make your case.
A House version of S. 896 (without the HEARTH Act attached) has already passed the House of Representatives. So, if the Senate passes the bill, it could be considered by the conference committee as early as this week. At that time, we will work to get the conference committee to include the HEARTH Act in the final bill. Keep an eye out this week for our next steps.
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More Information and Talking Points |
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The McKinney Reauthorization page of our website has additional information about the HEARTH Act including, a summary, bill highlights, and a list of past and present co-sponsors. |
| Background |
In early April, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act was introduced in both the House and Senate to reauthorize HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program. The bill would substantially improve community's ability to re-house homeless families and people with disabilities, assist families living in doubled up situations, and provide safe and stable housing for people living in crisis and on the street.
The Senate version of the HEARTH Act, S. 808, was introduced by Senators Reed (D-RI) and Bond (R-MO). The House version, H.R. 1877, was introduced by Representatives Moore (D-WI) and Biggert (R-IL). This year's version of the HEARTH Act is almost identical to the version that passed the full House by unanimous consent and gained considerable bipartisan support in the Senate in the 110th Congress.
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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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