Homelessness Update

Latest HUD COC awards signal need for continued investment Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a record-breaking $2 billion in grants to organizations working to end homelessness. This funding will support more than 7,300 local homeless assistance programs across the nation. This investment underscores increased demand to homelessness systems. As housing affordability continues to put more stress on homelessness services, Congress will need to continue to increase and sustain its commitment to ending homelessness. View a complete list of all the projects that received funding » New ‘work requirements’ threaten Medicaid: What You Need to Know Medicaid expansion is a vital provision of the Affordable Care Act. It is a lifeline connecting people experiencing homelessness to preventative care, substance abuse treatment, life-saving surgeries, and more. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently indicated that it would allow states greater flexibility in how Medicaid is run. States may now apply for waivers that would require Medicaid recipients to comply with work requirements, impose new cost-sharing obligations (e.g. co-pays or monthly premiums), and eliminate coverage requirements for certain essential health benefits. Last week, Kentucky raised premiums, removed coverage for dental and vision care, and imposed work requirements on beneficiaries. The news from Kentucky potentially foreshadows how Medicaid could be further eroded. Nine additional states have similar waivers now under consideration by HHS. Advocates seeking more information about this important development are encouraged to visit the following resources: Blog Post: “Not Out of the Woods Yet: State Waivers Threaten Medicaid Expansion” Families USA Medicaid 1115 Coverage Waivers Resource Center Families USA Guide to tracking work requirements . REGISTER NOW TO ATTEND OR SPONSOR THE  2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENDING FAMILY AND YOUTH HOMELESSNESS Registration is filling up quickly for the 2018 National Conference on Ending Family and Youth Homelessness. Registration for the conference, which takes place in Los Angeles on March 1–2, is available here. Opportunities are also still available to become a sponsor for the conference, or to purchase an information table. By sponsoring the conference, you will support the Alliance's mission to end homelessness for families and youth. Information tables are a great way to share resources and connect with peers at the conference. Information about these opportunities is available here. Register now » from the blog Ending Homelessness Today the official blog of the national alliance to end homelessness Final push on Appropriations by Steve Berg After many delays and false starts, Congress is entering the final stage in its work to enact government spending levels for Fiscal Year 2018. This will be the climax of an amazing effort by advocates all over the country, to secure appropriate funding to help get homeless people into housing. I want to thank everyone […] The post Final push on Appropriations appeared first on National Alliance to End Homelessness. Read more » comments » | On the Road Again: Capacity Building Team Touches Down in Georgia and Maryland to Improve Rapid Re-Housing Outcomes by Ben Cattell Noll The Alliance's Capacity Building Team will be on the road in 2018 to help providers implement rapid re-housing best practices and to ramp up their efforts to end homelessness. Albany, GA: home of Ray Charles, mouth-watering grilled fish… and the kickoff for a year of Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) Learning Collaboratives. Through these collaboratives, the Alliance's […] The post On the Road Again: Capacity Building Team Touches Down in Georgia and Maryland to Improve Rapid Re-Housing Outcomes appeared first on National Alliance to End Homelessness. Read more » comments » | Using a Scattered Site Housing First Model to Combat the Opioid Epidemic by NAEH Written by guest blogger, Christine Simiriglia, President and CEO of Pathways to Housing PA. People are dying at an alarming rate. Across the nation, the opioid crisis has communities working overtime in search of solutions. Philadelphia is feeling the effects particularly hard. The city's Kensington neighborhood remains "ground zero" for some of the purest, cheapest […] The post Using a Scattered Site Housing First Model to Combat the Opioid Epidemic appeared first on National Alliance to End Homelessness. Read more » comments » | About Us The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the problem of homelessness and preventing its continued growth. Join Us The Alliance is online: on Facebook, on Twitter, on our blog, and on our website! Join the Alliance's online community, and stay up-to-date with homelessness and housing information. www.endhomelessness.org Forward to a Friend Need Technical Assistance? Visit the Center for Capacity Building to learn more about the ways the Center can help your community end homelessness.