Dear John,
In case you missed it...this week the Voices for Human Needs blog reports on new data that show how effectively the newly expanded Child Tax Credit already is reducing hunger and economic hardship among families in need. And we unveil CHN's latest COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship, a by-the-numbers glance at how the pandemic is affecting people with low incomes and other vulnerable populations. Finally, we look ahead to next week's release of the latest Voices for Human Needs podcast, which will examine the intersection between housing and homelessness, health care, and policy. Please share!
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This week on the blog...
The CTC expansion is doing exactly what it was meant to do -- and families and children are benefiting
August 18
Endia Villar, a working mom in Allen, Texas, with a two-year-old daughter and a baby on the way, was recently asked how she spent the $300 child tax credit deposit she received last month. “Groceries,” she said. “I am pregnant, and I eat like a teenage boy. We needed more food. So it – it worked out perfectly.” Endia is not alone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Household Pulse survey, 47 percent of parents receiving the expanded benefit used at least some of the funds on food. READ MORE »
CHN's COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship
August 20
The CTC-and-SNAP-to-the-rescue edition. The Delta variant is spreading rapidly, making up more than 98 percent of new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. The daily death rate is roughly double what it was at the beginning of August. Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi are seeing their highest daily caseloads since the start of the pandemic. Alabama has run out of ICU beds. “It’s absolutely due to delta; it’s absolutely due to unvaccinated people,” said David Wohl, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina. “There is an incredible increase in hospitalizations across the spectrum, from just needing oxygen and some care to needing serious interventions to keep people alive. If everyone was vaccinated, our hospitals would not be anywhere near where we are.” READ MORE »
Stay tuned! Next week, we'll be coming at you with a brand new Voices for Human Needs podcast. The new episode will examine the intersection between housing and homelessness, health care, and policy. You'll hear from two members of the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council with lived experiences of homelessness, including the council’s clinical director based out of Portland, Maine, and the Chair of the National Health Care Consumer Advisory Board, based out of Portland, Oregon. In addition, the Vice President of Policy and Programs at the National Alliance to End Homelessness will share how advocates at the grassroots and federal levels must continue to push forward policies during the budget reconciliation process and through economic recovery legislation that could make a real difference in the lives of those at risk for, or facing, homelessness.
Coalition on Human Needs
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