Federal Policy Update: 2010 Capitol Hill Day Priorities

Federal Policy Update: 2010 Capitol

Hill Day Priorities

Capitol Hill Day Materials:www.endhomelessness.org/2010HillDay

Today’s Agenda

1. Introduction– Hill Day Logistics– Capitol Hill Day Policy Agenda

2. Appropriations: Update, Talking Points, Action Needed

– McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants– Section 8– SAMHSA Homeless Services– Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

3. Authorizing Bills: Update, Talking Points, Action

– Comprehensive Legislation to End Veteran Homelessness

– National Housing Trust Fund

4. Questions

Hill Day Logistics

• Thank you State Captains for organizing Hill Day!

• Contact Sumeet Singh, (ssingh@naeh.org / 202-942-8259) for info about participating in Congressional visits.

• Conference “Advocacy Track” Agenda can be found on the Capitol Hill Day Info Page – www.endhomelessness.org/2010HillDay

Capitol Hill Day Policy Agenda

• Reflects critical issues being considered AS WE SPEAK

• Issues we can impact at the time of the conference

• Issues you have been working on for several months

Capitol Hill Day Policy Agenda

• Several policies are moving forward

• Prioritizing issues for each meeting is CRITICAL

• Less issues = more progress

Capitol Hill Day Policy Agenda

Deciding on an issue:

• Is your Senator or Representative on a committee considering one of these policies?

• What have they supported in the past?

• We can help you find this info!

Appropriations: McKinney

Provide $2.4 billion for McKinney programs in FY 2011

Latest Update:• Administration proposed $2.055 billion (10%

increase)• House T-HUD Subcommittee “marked up” and

voted on its bill on Thursday, July 1, which provides $2.055 billion

• Senate T-HUD Subcommittee still drafting its bill

Appropriations: McKinney

• House T-HUD Members– Thank you! Please work to provide increased

funding• All other Representatives

– Please work throughout the process to increase funding level

• Senate T-HUD Subcommittee members– Provide $2.4 billion in FY 2011

• All other Senators– Ask T-HUD Chair/RM to provide $2.4 billion

Appropriations: McKinney

Talking Points• Without enough funding, less money for new CoC

projects or HPRP-like activities• How do you use McKinney and HPRP funds currently?• One-time big increase to fully implement HEARTH Act

– new ESG program = 18 percent increase; – new rural program = 2 percent increase; – Project renewals = 5 percent increase; and – Community-based oversight and administration = 3 percent

increase

• National/local declines in homelessness

Appropriations: Housing and Services Demo

Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration

10,000 Vouchers ($85 million)

– 4,000 units for Chronic Homelessness• $16 million services funding from SAMHSA• Applicants would have to commit to using Medicaid

resources

– 6,000 units for homeless and at-risk families• Applicants would have to commit TANF resources

Appropriations: Housing and Services Demo

Status

• House T-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee included $85 million for Demo.

• Senate has not acted yet

• Labor/HHS/Education Subcommittees have not acted yet on the $16 million for SAMHSA

• Thank House T-HUD Appropriators for including $85 million

• Ask Senate T-HUD to include $85 million and House and Senate Labor/HHS Appropriators to include $16 million for SAMHSA

Appropriations: Section 8

Administration requested enough funding to renew existing vouchers, and possibly a little extra.

– 10,000 for Housing and Services Demo– No new VASH, FUP, or disability vouchers– New Transforming Rental Assistance Initiative

House T-HUD appropriators included roughly what the Administration requested for Voucher renewals.

– 10,000 for Housing and Services Demo– 10,000 new VASH Vouchers– No funding for Transforming Rental Assistance

Appropriations: Section 8

National Campaign to double voucher program over 10 years—200,000 new vouchers per year.

Ask your Members of Congress to significantly expand Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program this year

and in future years.

Appropriations: SAMHSA

Priority

• Provide $120 million for SAMHSA Homeless Services programs in FY 2011, including $15.8 million for Homeless Initiative Program

Latest Update

• Administration proposed $87 million

• House and Senate HHS Subcommittees drafting bills

Specific Ask

• HHS Appropriations Subcommittee members: provide $120 million, including $15.8 million for Homeless Initiative Program

• All other Members of Congress: Ask Chair/RM of HHS Subcommittee to provide $120 million

Appropriations: SAMHSA

Talking Points• Local URGENCY for services funding for PSH• Difficulty in creating PSH due to lack of services

funding• Use of Medicaid funds in supportive housing• Cost-effectiveness data• High level of interest and capacity by providers

RHYA Talking Points – The Numbers

• In 2009, SOP teams make contact with over 800,000 youth nationwide

• About 41,000 received shelter and 4,000 entered Transition Living Programs

• Over 7,500 were denied shelter or housing in 2009 due to lack of capacity

• 73% entered shelter directly from parent or guardian’s home

Talking Points – Who can do what?

• Labor-Heath-Education Subcommittee handles RHYA

• House support from:– KY, IL, PA, WA, MN, WI, FL, TX, and OH

• Senate support from:– NJ, CT, MI, RI, OH, IL, MD, NY, OR, and MN

• Need to develop Congressional champions to bring youth housing to scale and benefits of family counseling to keep youth safely in homes

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

• Currently funded at $116 million

• Funds Basic Center, Transitional Living, and Street Outreach Programs

• Administered by DHHS through Family &Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)

• $49 million dollar increase focused on specific programs and research

• Part of Federal Housing Policy Campaign to End Homeless for 50,000 Youth

Program Purpose Detailed Request

Basic Center Increase community outreach and prevention of runaway episodes through family group counseling and other support services

$64 million

Transitional Living Program

Case management services provided in various residential housing models

$79 million

Street Outreach Outreach services to move youth off of the streets

$18 million

Research Incidence Study

Research to determine baseline number of accompanied, homeless youth between the ages of 12- 24

$4 million

Total $165 million

FY2011 Appropriations: Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

Authorizations: Comprehensive Veteran Legislation

Priority• Enact comprehensive legislation, such as Zero Tolerance for

Veteran Homelessness Act, to end veteran homelessness. The legislation should:– Establish a comprehensive homelessness prevention and rapid re-

housing program at VA;– Authorize an expansion of the Department of Housing and Urban

Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to serve 60,000 veterans and their families; and

– Improve data collection on the extent of homelessness among veterans.

Latest Update• Senate VA Committee passed S. 1237, which included ZTVHA• House passed H.R. 4810, which establishes a prevention program• Two bills may go to conference together

Authorizations: Comprehensive Veteran Legislation

Specific Ask:• Senators: Pass ZTVHA• Representatives: Enact comprehensive legislation to end

homelessness among veterans, such as ZTVHA

Talking Points:• Scope of veteran homelessness in your community• Data to describe the positive impact of local HUD-VASH

vouchers.• Veterans in your community could benefit from a

continuum of housing options for veterans, depending on their needs and the depth of their housing crisis

Authorizations: NHTF

Priority• Provide $1 billion to capitalize NHTF

Latest Update• Administration proposed $1 billion mandatory allocation• House passed H.R. 4213 with $1 billion for NHTF• Senate hasn’t been able to pass H.R. 4213

Specific Ask• Work with the Administration to approve a $1 billion

mandatory allocation for the NHTF.

Authorizations: NHTF

Talking Points

• Importance of rental housing affordable to ELI households

• Would increase access to housing for those experiencing or most at risk of homelessness

• State allocation – www.nhtf.org

Capitol Hill Day Materials:www.endhomelessness.org/2010HillDay

For more information, contact:

Amanda Krusemark Sumeet Singhakrusemark@naeh.org ssingh@naeh.org202-942-8256 202-942-8259