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.
Here’s What You Can Do:
- Email your congressional offices! Personalize this sample letter to Representatives and this sample letter to Senators
- Email the housing staff person at each office this week with these letters attached. You can also link to these one-pagers in the body of your email.
- Call the offices or contact us if you need help finding the correct staffers’ email addresses.
- Call your congressional offices to follow up to the emails! Dial the Congressional switchboard at 877-210-5351. When you reach your Members’ offices, ask to speak to the housing staff person you sent the email to.
- Spread the word about this national grassroots effort to your colleagues and community partners!
- Let us know which offices you emailed and called, and what responses you receive! This is extremely important for our work with these offices and tracking purposes!
More Information:
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! |
