Early Conference Registration Closing, Volunteer Opportunities Available
| May 6, 2014 | ||||||
ISSUES | POLICY | SOLUTIONS | NEWS & EVENTS Forward Editor: Emanuel Cavallaro | ||||||
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House T-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up Spending Bill
This Wednesday, May 7, the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee will mark up its fiscal year (FY) 2015 spending bill for programs under its jurisdiction, including the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program and many other low-income housing programs. The chamber is also expected to determine 302(b) allocations, which represent the amount each subcommittee will have to spend on programs under its jurisdiction, this week. The Senate will likely determine its 302(b) allocations in a few weeks, at which point Senate appropriations subcommittees will begin to mark up spending bills. |
Last Wednesday, April 30, the House Budget Committee held a hearing titled "A Progress Report on the War on Poverty: Lessons from the Frontlines," during which committee members heard firsthand accounts of the challenges facing communities struggling with poverty. Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) opened the hearing by proposing that, although the government should play a role in ending poverty and safety nets are necessary, economic growth and smarter investments in effective poverty-reducing programs are also critical.
During the hearing, Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children's Defense Fund, advised the committee that social programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and housing assistance must be robustly funded if we are to the continue the progress the nation has made toward reducing poverty. She urged members of the Budget Committee to hear from people who are served by anti-poverty programs before deciding how to improve investments in such programs.
On Thursday, May 1, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released new HMIS Data Standards that will allow for standardized data collection on homeless households across systems. The release comprises two documents: the HMIS Data Dictionary, which is intended for HMIS vendors and system administrators, and the HMIS Data Manuel, which has a broader audience. The standards will go into effect on October 1, 2014.
The Alliance has published on its website a resource that provides a brief overview of the history and effectiveness of rapid re-housing and context for the Alliance's "Core Components of Rapid Re-Housing" resource. The resource, "Rapid Re-Housing: A History and Core Components," provides a brief background on the rapid re-housing intervention, which is a strategy to address homelessness that is growing in popularity across the country, including for individuals and families who are traditionally perceived as more difficult to serve.
Keys to High Performance: Funders and Providers
In this post, the third in our "Keys to High Performance" blog series, we look at funders and providers. Providers, especially those that are changing their programs to improve their performance, need funders that will be supportive if they decide to change their business models to better meet the community's goals, vision, and outcomes.