National Alliance to End Homelessness

Congressional Briefing | December 5, 2009

On December 4, the National Alliance to End Homelessness hosted a Congressional Briefing, "Ending Family Homelessness.” Staff people representing nearly 30 Congressional offices were in attendance and heard from an expert panel. Speakers provided information about the success that their state, city, or program has had in using solution-focused strategies, like prevention and rapid re-housing, to reduce homelessness among families. To continue making progress in the midst of the recession, speakers asked Congress to support their efforts and to:

• Include $1 billion in any upcoming job-creation bill to extend the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP),
• Provide $2.4 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants in FY 2011,
• Increase affordable housing for extremely low income families with 200,000 new Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in FY 2011, and $1 billion to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund this year, and
• Reauthorize the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.

Below are materials from the briefing, including information about the federal policies to prevent and end homelessness that the Alliance urges Congress to move forward as quickly as possible.

Testimony

Nan Roman, National Alliance to End Homelessness

Kay Moshier McDivitt, County of Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Federal Policy Priorities to End Family Homelessness

Extend the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP)

FY 2011 Appropriations: HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants

Increase Affordable Housing for Extremely Low Income Families

TANF Reauthorization Should Prevent and End Family Homelessness

Background Information

Ending Homelessness for Families: The Evidence for Affordable Housing

Additional Information about Homelessness among Families