Update:
Congress Provides $115 Million Increase for McKinney!

Thank your Congressional Representatives.

Thank you to everyone who added their letters, phone calls, and emails to the advocacy efforts of homeless advocates everywhere to secure funding for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program.

McKinney received a $115 million increase to $2.250 billion for FY 2016. This represents a 5.4 percent increase over last year’s $2.135 billion, and is $65 million above what was in the House’s initial bill and $15 million above both the Senate’s initial bill. Considering that we typically land somewhere between the House and Senate numbers, surpassing both is no small feat!

The Alliance’s initial analysis estimates that this funding level will be enough to retain existing capacity in the face of rent increases and a small number of expiring multi-year grants, as well as provide approximately $65 million in increased CoC capacity to end homelessness. This includes $38 million for effective strategies to end youth homelessness, and $27 million for additional CoC projects.

Unfortunately, Congress did not prioritize HUD programs as much as the Administration did. One impact is that the $2.250 billion for McKinney falls $230 million short of the $2.480 billion requested in the Administration’s Budget Proposal. A second is that we were unable to secure the number of sequestration restoration vouchers targeted for homeless and other vulnerable populations that were included in the Budget request, although the bill does provide $60 million for approximately 8,000 new HUD-VASH vouchers.

Contact your Congressional Representative to Thank them for their Support:
  • Click here to contact the Offices of Senator Blumenthal and Senator Murphy
  • Click here to contact the Offices of Congresswoman Esty, Congresswoman DeLauro, Congressman Larson, Congressman Himes, and Congressman Courtney

 Please contact Sarah Fox at sfox@cceh.org and Carline Charmelus at carline@pschousing.org to relay and updates from your conversations with the congressional delegation.

Thank you for your continued support, and all your efforts and advocacy towards ending homelessness in Connecticut!


 

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program

The Balanced Budget Act (BBA), a two year budget agreement that raises overall budget caps by $80 billion over the next two fiscal years, was signed into law on Monday, November 2. This presents the biggest opportunity we have to get Congress to do something about homelessness since the HEARTH Act passed six years ago!

The Senate is debating a disappointing version of the T-HUD bill today, which includes $245 million less than the President’s request for McKinney-Vento. However, this bill only reflects the funding levels the Senate wants in the final bill, not taking the House into consideration. Regardless of whether the Senate’s T-HUD bill passes this week, Congress must include spending levels for HUD programs currently being negotiated between both the House and Senate in the final FY 2016 omnibus appropriations bill. This bill is expected to be finalized when the current continuing resolution funding the government expires on December 11, but many details of the bill are expected to be decided as soon as this week.

Advocates should not let the Senate bill deter you from contacting your Members! This is our chance to convince Congress to put the resources on the table to end chronic homelessness by 2017 and make progress on ending family and youth homelessness by 2020. All you have to do is pick up a phone or send a letter!

The funding process to determine spending levels for housing and homelessness programs is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks and many details will be finalized much sooner. We’re counting on advocates to contact your Members of Congress in this final advocacy push of the fiscal year, letting them know the final FY 2016 appropriations bill NEEDS to include $2.480 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance program.

Contact your Congressional Representative to Thank them for their Support:

  • Click here to contact the Offices of Senator Blumenthal and Senator Murphy
  • Click here to contact the Offices of Congresswoman Esty, Congresswoman DeLauro, Congressman Larson, Congressman Himes, and Congressman Courtney

 Please contact Sarah Fox at sfox@cceh.org and Carline Charmelus at carline@pschousing.org to relay and updates from your conversations with the congressional delegation.

Thank you for your continued support, and all your efforts and advocacy towards ending homelessness in Connecticut!