In an act of hypocrisy that is extreme, even when compared to the serial outrageousness we have come to expect from Washington in recent years, the Trump Administration has taken initial action seeking to criminalize homelessness by relocating people experiencing homelessness from the streets of Los Angeles and other California cities to federal facilities. While appropriate federal investment is desperately needed to address the growing crisis of homelessness in cities across the nation, federal efforts to criminalize homelessness, or to create warehouses to move the homeless out of sight and out of mind are clearly not the answer.
The Trump Administration is complicit in the continuing growth of homelessness. While it did not start under its watch, the administration has offered no positive proposals to address homelessness nor its main underlying cause — the lack of affordable housing. Rather, the administration has proposed significant budget cuts to HUD’s affordable housing and homeless funding every year. Other actions, such as repeated attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, cuts to SNAP benefits, and cuts to housing assistance for undocumented individuals in public housing, all undercut state and local efforts to end homelessness.
Sign Letter Urging Presidential Debate Moderators to Question Candidates on Affordable Housing
In a few weeks the presidential candidates will return to the debate stage in Houston, TX. The National Coalition for the Homeless encourage our partners to sign on to the National Low Income Housing Coalition letter urging the ABC and Univision moderates to ask the candidates about the affordable housing and homeless crisis.
To sign on to the letter, please click here.
Foster Care Housing Bill
On May 9th, 2019 Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10) reintroduced the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act. The bill is designed to increase access to housing for youth aging out of foster care without increasing federal spending.
To learn more about the bill please click here.
Proposed Rule would reduce eligibility for SNAP
On July 24th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a proposed rule that would implement strict eligibility requirements for individuals and families seeking Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. If passed, the proposed rule would narrow broad-based categorical eligibility for SNAP, a process that aims to streamline the welfare application process by allowing certain individuals receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program benefits to qualify for SNAP.
The deadline to submit your comment is September 23, 2019.
For organizations to comment please click here. For individuals to comment, please click here.
Disaster Relief Update
HUD released a Federal Register notice allocating nearly $6.875 billion in mitigation funding to multiple states recovering from 2015, 2016, and 2017 disasters. the funds were approved through a disaster supplemental appropriation act passed more than a year and a half ago, in February, 2018. The notices allocates funds to California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, but NOT Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
The reason why HUD is not allocating funds is because of concerns in regards to the islands' capacity to administer the funds and potential for misuse.
To read HUDs statement please click here.
On August 1st, 2019 The Center for American Progress came out with a report, A Perfect Storm: Extreme Weather as an Affordable Crisis Multiplier. This report examines how extreme weather by climate change are exacerbating the affordable housing and homeless crisis. At the end of the report the Center for American Progress lays out policy solutions for the Federal, State, and Local governments.
To learn more and read the report please click here.
|
October 7, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the HousingNOW! march that brought 250,000 people to Washington, DC to demand housing to end growing homelessness. 
