President Proposes $300 Million increase in Homeless Assistance

March 4, 2014
		ISSUES  |  POLICY  |  SOLUTIONS  |  NEWS & EVENTS Forward Editor: Emanuel Cavallaro
		Spotlight On... President Proposes $300 Million increase in Homeless Assistance Today, the Obama administration released its complete fiscal year (FY) 2015 Budget Proposal, which includes approximately $2.4 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, representing a proposed $300 million increase in funding for homeless assistance. This proposal for increasing HUD's homeless assistance, along with the proposed increases for Department of Veterans Affairs budget, demonstrate a commitment on the part of the Administration to end veterans homelessness by the end of 2015 and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. Upcoming Webinar: President's Budget Proposal - Overview and Impact on Homelessness For more in-depth analysis of the Budget Proposal, and more information on what $2.4 billion would support under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, please join us this Thursday, March 6 at 1:30 pm ET on our President's Budget Briefing webinar. Alliance staff will review key funding levels in the Proposal, next steps in the federal budget process, and ways in which you can get involved. Register for the Webinar

Hill Update Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Economic Outlook Last Tuesday, February 25, the Senate Budget Committee held a hearing titled "The Economic and Budget Outlook for Individuals, Families and Communities." In her opening statement, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) highlighted the struggles American families still face in the aftermath of the economic downturn. Witnesses discussed how they have been affected by the federal budget and ways the budget could effectively invest in them. More information

Senator Murray Issues Memorandum on Fiscal Outlook
Last Thursday, February 27, Senator Murray, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, issued a memorandum to Senate democrats regarding the current, improved fiscal outlook in the United States. In the memorandum, Sen. Murray called on Senate democrats to build upon the progress they have made toward deficit reduction and the bipartisan foundation they worked to establish with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. Sen. Murray further called upon the legislators to move past manufactured budget crises and instead focus on creating jobs, expanding opportunity, and generating economic growth.

Read the memo

Representative Ryan Releases Poverty Report
Yesterday, Monday, March 3, Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), chair of the House Budget Committee, released an extensive, 204-page report examining the history, structure, cost, and evidence on the effectiveness of poverty programs. The report includes a lengthy section on housing programs. The report aims to begin the conversation about future reforms to anti-poverty programs. It nonetheless discussed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program in favorable terms, highlighting the effectiveness of rapid re-housing and the cost-savings of permanent supportive housing.

Read the report

Alliance Publishes Overview and Recommendations on Workplace Investment Act

The Alliance has published a solutions brief, "The Workforce Investment Act: An Overview and Recommendation," which was written for the Alliance by the Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights. The brief provides an overview of the U.S.'s federally funded workforce system, examples of workforce and homeless system collaboration and recommendations for meeting the employment interests and needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Read the Brief

Last Week on Ending Homelessness Today

Homelessness and Tuberculosis: What Can We Do?
By Lisa Stand

People experiencing homeless have extraordinarily high rates of tuberculosis, as much as 10 times the rate in the general community. And people living and working in homeless shelters must contend with an airborne bacterium that never goes out of season. In this post, we look at what responses to TB are needed in programs that assist people experiencing homelessness.
VA Expands Program to Provide Services for Veteran Families
By Kay Moshier McDivitt
In this post, we take a look at a new opportunity for communities fighting family homelessness with rapid re-housing: the VA's expansion of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.

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