| Housing Action Alerts
Catholic Social Teaching challenges us to make the needs of the poor a priority. Many have difficulty in finding affordable housing and others need emergency shelter. Following are two alerts concerning housing and emergency shelter for the poor that have been issued by Bob Palmer from Housing Action Illinois.
Federal Housing Alert: Calls Needed to Support HUD Funding Levels
Key Illinois Members: Representatives Biggert, Johnson, LaHood, Kirk, and Weller are all considered to be undecided on the issue and especially need to hear from constituents.
The House passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) FY08 conference agreement on November 14 by a 270-147 vote. The conference agreement, which is the compromise between the individual House and Senate THUD appropriations bills, will not go to the full Senate as a stand-alone bill.
Instead, when the House and Senate reconvene the week of December 3 after Thanksgiving recess, they will develop an omnibus spending bill to deliver to the President (after House and Senate passage). This omnibus spending bill will likely include all or most of the 11 unfinished FY08 spending bills, including the THUD bill.
Since the President has threatened to veto the THUD and other spending bills because they exceed his budget requests, Democrats hope to develop an omnibus spending bill that splits the difference between what they want for FY08 and what the President has requested. For HUD programs, this would be devastating. Any cuts would mean the actual loss of housing assistance for some people currently being served.
Right now, non-defense federal programs are operating under a continuing resolution, which means that programs are operating at FY07 levels. Congress intends to enact an omnibus spending bill before this continuing resolution expires on December 14.
Messages for ALL Senators and Representatives – please contact your elected officials:
Support the funding levels for HUD in the THUD conference agreement.
These HUD funding levels will barely sustain existing housing for people in the public housing and voucher programs. There are about 20,000 new vouchers, nationally, in the bill for homeless veterans, non-elderly disabled people and for the Family Unification program.
Funding for project-based Section 8 contract renewals needs an additional “advance appropriation” in order to protect about 500,000 units in FY08.
Please use this toll free number – 877-210-5351 – for the congressional switchboard and ask to be connected to the housing staffer for your Senators and Representative.
Resources:
The latest news in NLIHC’s Memo to Members: http://www.nlihc.org/pubs/issue.cfm
NLIHC’s budget chart: http://www.nlihc.org/doc/FY08_BudgetChart.pdf
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ November 14 paper comparing the conference agreement to the President’s FY08 request and offering state-by-state examples of the impact of funding at the President’s levels: http://www.cbpp.org/11-14-07hous.htm
National Housing Trust’s list of at-risk project-based Section 8 units, by Congressional District: http://www.nlihc.org/doc/PB-Rental-Assistance-Units-by-Cong-District.pdf
State Housing Action Alert
Ask Governor Blagojevich to Increase Funding for Homeless Programs
Service providers are seeking $11.8 million in funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant Program for FY09 to restore cuts in prior years and to better provide the case management and other services that they are mandated to provide. Funding in FY08 is $9.4 million.
The EFSG Program funds:
• Overnight Shelters and voucher programs provide people in crisis a place to stay.
• Transitional Shelters provide up to 24 months of housing while families and individuals prepare to move back into permanent housing.
• Supportive Services, such as case management and counseling, in areas such housing location, employment, mental health, substance abuse, are provided to all participants to help them achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
Problem:
Comparing program statistics between fiscal years 2005 and 2006 shows that the demand from people experiencing homelessness is increasing, both in terms of people served and people turned away. In fiscal year 2006, 49,150 people were served by state-funded shelters, a 27% increase from the previous year, but the number of people turned-away due to lack of space and other reasons was 24,766, also a 27% increase from the previous year. (This figure does not include the City of Chicago, which does not keep track of the number of people turned away.)
At the same time, the data also shows that programs are being more successful helping people move onto a more positive housing situation as soon as possible. In fiscal year 2006, 56% of households had positive housing outcomes, including moving to private housing, subsidized housing, public housing, family/friends or other shelters.
Solution:
With increased funding, the City of Chicago and the 88 private agencies currently funded in the rest of the state will better assist people to move back into permanent housing.
The EFSG Program is an essential part of the state’s response to homelessness along with homelessness prevention, permanent supportive housing and other programs.
Action Needed:
Urge Governor Blagojevich to include $11.8 million in funding for the Emergency Food and Shelter Grant Program in his fiscal year 2009 budget, which will be released in February.
Deadline for responding: Please take action by December 15, 2007.
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