HEARTH Act
Information on the newly introduced HEARTH Act to reauthorize McKinney-Vento Homeless Programs.
November 16, 2007
New HEARTH Act materials available
We are pleased to provide the following materials to help in your local efforts to support the HEARTH Act - H.R. 840.
NPACH House testimony
Definition
Fact Check (debunks myths put forward by opponents of aligning HUD's
definition of homelessness with the definitions used by the U.S.
Departments of Education, HHS, and Justice)
HUD
Spending Fact Check (debunks the argument that homeless families are
receiving a disproportionate share of HUD homeless assistance dollars
and the claim that HUD's "Chronic Homelessness Initiative" has been
successful
Letter
from 44 children, youth, and family focused organizations supporting
alignment of HUD's definition of homelessness with the definition used
by the U.S. Departments of Education, HHS, and Justice
Posted by Jeremy Rosen on November 16, 2007 9:50 AM
| Permalink
November 15, 2007
HEARTH Act Endorsers - updated list (11/15/07)
The following is a list of
organizations endorsing H.R. 840 - the HEARTH Act. Please send
additional endorsements to Jeremy Rosen at
National
Catholic Charities USA
Child Welfare League of America
Covenant House
Family Promise
Healthy Teen Network
HEAR US
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth,
National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
National Center on Family Homelessness
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Network for Youth
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH)
Volunteers of America
Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP)
State Homeless Coalitions
Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness
Florida Coalition for the Homeless
Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Minesota Coalition for the Homeless
New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
Washington State Coalition for the Homeless
Other State and Local Organizations
Chance Outreach Programs, Inc., Lower Peach Tree, Alabama
Cherokee County Crisis Center, Centre, Alabama
Loaves and Fish Community Ministries, Mobile Alabama
Arizona Behavioral Health Corporation (ABC), Phoenix, Arizona
Delta-Hills Continuum of Care, Batesville, Arkansas
Hunger-Free Arkansas, Inc, Little Rock, Arkansas
America's Veterans, Marina del Rey, California
Blacksmith Records, Inc., Los Angeles, California
East Oakland Community Development Corporation, Oakland, California
Families Forward, Irvine, California
Housing Works, Los Angeles, California
McKinney Contractors Association of San Francisco, California
Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter, Costa Mesa, CA
Religious Witness with Homeless People, San Francisco, California
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, Colorado
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Denver - Denver, Colorado
Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Gainesville, Florida
Citrus County Family Resource Center, Hernando, Florida
Coalition to End Homelessness, Broward County, Florida
Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, New Port Richey, Florida
DeSoto County Homeless Coalition, Inc., Arcadia, Florida
Help of Fort Meade, Inc., Fort Meade, Florida
Community Leadership Consulting, Cooper City, Florida
Homeless Family Center, Vero Beach, Florida
Monroe Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc., Key West, Florida
Monroe County School District, Key West, Florida
Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity Inc, Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Peaceful Paths from Gainesville, Florida
South Brevard Sharing Center, Melbourne, Florida
Samuel's House, Inc. Key West, Florida
Georgia Task Force for the Homeless, Athens, Georgia
Metro-Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, Atlanta, Georgia
School Social Workers Association of Georgia
The Carpenter’s Place, Rockford, Illinois
HEAR US Inc, Naperville, Illinois
Genesis Outreach, Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana
South Central Community Action Program, Bloomington, Indiana
Crisis Intervention Services, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Scott County Housing Council, Davenport, Iowa
The Christian Shelter For The Homeless,Inc, London,Kentucky
Northern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition, Covington, Kentucky
Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, Inc, Covington, Kentucky
Shelter Resources, Inc. d.b.a. Belle Reve New Orleans, Louisiana
Public Justice Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Dismas House of Massachusetts, Inc, Worchester, Massachusetts
Homeless Service Provider’s Network, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Veterans Transition House, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Cristo Rey Community Center, Lansing, Michigan
Branch County Interfaith Hospitality Network – Cold Water, Michigan
Community Psychologists of Minnesota, Fridley,Minnesota
Elim Transitional Housing, Inc. - Mpls/St.Paul Metro Area, Minnesota
Fargo Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons, Minnesota / North Dakota
Hennepin County Family Homeless Prevention Advisory Committee, Minnesota
Houston County Women's Resources, Hokah, Minnesota
Integrated Community Solutions Inc. Fridley, Minnesota
Island View Resort, Sand Lake, Minnesota
Metrowide Engagement on Shelter and Housing, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Watlov Family Charitable Foundation, Brainerd, Minnesota
Mississippi Coalition For Citizens with Disabilities
Hunterdon County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Flemington, New Jersey
Ocean County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Tom’s River, New Jersey
Somerset County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Somerville, New Jersey
Sussex County Interfaith Hospitality Network - Newton, New Jersey
Advocates for Children, New York, New York
Covenant House, New York, New York
New Destiny Housing Corporation, New York, New York
Urban Ministries of Durham, Durham, North Carolina
Project Connect, Columbus, Ohio
Community Action Directors of Oregon (CADO), Salem, Oregon
Achieve-Ability, Philadelphia, PA
Dignity Housing, Philadelphia, PA
Episcopal Community Services, Philadelphia, PA
Horizon House, Philadelphia, PA
Lutheran Settlement House, Philadelphia, PA
Methodist Family Services of Phila., Philadelphia, PA
Interfaith Hospitality Network (Phila), Philadelphia, PA
Overington House, Philadelphia, PA
PathwaysPA, Philadelphia, PA
People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Health Management Co., Philadelphia, PA
Project H.O.M.E., Philadelphia, PA
Project Rainbow/Drueding Center, Philadelphia, PA
Salvation Army of SE PA, Philadelphia, PA
Traveler’s Aid Society (of Phila), Philadelphia, PA
Women Against Abuse, Philadelphia, PA
Interfaith Hospitality Network of York County - Rock Hill, South Carolina
Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Johnson City - Johnson City, Tennessee
Foundation Communities, Austin, Texas
House the Homeless, Austin, Texas
UniversalLivingWage.org, Austin, Texas
Posted by Jeremy Rosen on November 15, 2007 8:34 AM
| Permalink
July 3, 2007
NPACH Commentary: Welcome to Washington
Welcome to
Washington. From July 9-11, hundreds of homelessness advocates, service
providers, and government officials will gather in Washington, D.C. for
the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ annual conference. The
conference is a wonderful opportunity for people to learn, network, and
educate their federal legislators.
As we approach July 22 - the 20th anniversary of the
McKinney-Vento Act’s initial passage – education and advocacy on Capitol
Hill have never been more important. For the entire 20 years of
McKinney-Vento, advocates have recognized that insufficient federal
resources dedicated to affordable housing programs have contributed to
increases in homelessness. So too have welfare “reform” without
meaningful education and training programs, deinstitutionalization
without housing, the challenges faced by ex-offenders whose inability to
get jobs or housing due to their criminal records continues to punish
them long after their release date, and the struggles of children and
youth with a child welfare system that all too often leaves them on
their own at age 18.
When you attend the Alliance conference, and prepare for the
July 11 lobby day, we encourage you to focus lobbying efforts on both
systemic and short term solutions to end homelessness. Talk to
legislators about the importance of creating and funding a National
Housing Trust Fund, to create at least 1.5 million units of affordable
housing, and urge your Members of Congress to increase funding for
Section 8 and HUD’s other mainstream housing programs such as Housing
for Persons With Disabilities (“Section 811” program) and Senior Housing
(“Section 202” program). Tell the House and Senate to quickly pass the
bipartisan Second Chance Act, to ensure that communities begin to give
ex-offenders the housing and services they need to avoid returning to a
life of crime. And urge Congress to support meaningful child welfare
reform, that gives social workers the flexibility they need to provide
families with the housing assistance that would enable them in many
cases to reunify – which would both benefit children and save money.
NPACH continues to work on solving these broad problems, one
step at a time. However, we also recognize the need to focus on
critical short term solutions such as reform of HUD homeless programs,
funded through the McKinney-Vento Act. These programs have limited
resources – only $1.4 billion per year, much of which is taken up by
renewing funding for existing programs, rather than funding new housing
and services. But for many homeless children, youth, and adults, HUD’s
homeless programs serve as a gateway to permanent housing and supportive
services.
In 2007, Congress is considering two pieces of legislation to
rewrite the laws governing HUD homeless assistance programs. NPACH and
our many partner organizations assisted in drafting the House bill -
H.R. 840 – the Homeless Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing
(HEARTH) Act. We strongly support this legislation. HEARTH gives
communities the flexibility they need to address homelessness. Rather
than requiring communities to meet one size fits all priorities set by
HUD in Washington, D.C., it allows providers and government officials to
apply for funds to meet the most critical needs in their communities –
needs that they are best positioned to identify. It also expands the
definition of homelessness to include people living in hotels and motels
and people who are doubled up, when these living conditions are due to
an inability to obtain any other adequate housing. HEARTH is supported
by a broad coalition of national, state, and local organizations that
focus on homelessness policy.
Read the list of HEARTH Act endorsers
NPACH urges you to lobby for the HEARTH Act, and the principle of local control that it represents.
In contrast, the Senate is considering S. 1518, the Community
Partnership to End Homelessness Act (CPEHA) – a bill supported by the
Alliance and in large part by the Bush Administration. CPEHA would
largely codify current HUD policy, while making some small positive
changes that have mostly been incorporated in HEARTH. As a result,
communities would be required to continue the current focus on ending
chronic homelessness, whether or not this policy meets local needs.
CPEHA does contain provisions that attempt to help
communities focus on family homelessness and on ending homelessness in
rural areas. However, the proposed homelessness prevention program
would be a new program, subject to appropriations and with an overly
narrow definition of who can be served. And CPEHA’s rural title does
not adequately address the definition of homelessness in rural
communities. NPACH believes that the HEARTH approach of expanding the
definition of homelessness, allowing local communities to set
priorities, and eliminating federal set-asides would address
homelessness prevention and rural homelessness far more effectively.
Advocates for homeless children, youth, and families must not
remain silent, as we compile example after example of hardship after
hardship suffered by people in need of assistance – domestic violence
shelters closing because HUD has different funding priorities, families
living in motels because they are unable to enter HUD funded homeless
programs, youth surviving on the streets because service providers
cannot access permanent housing resources, and young children and their
parents, living in precarious housing situations, often moving many
times during a school year, being told that they are not “homeless” and
are therefore ineligible for HUD homeless assistance – children whose
lack of housing and school stability may result in them growing up to be
the next generation of “chronically homeless” single individuals.
NPACH’s one page document in support of the House HEARTH Act
can be found below. We have also posted a similar document on CPEHA,
urging advocates to support a set of concrete changes that would
dramatically improve the Senate bill. We urge you to use these
documents to advocate for balanced McKinney-Vento reauthorization
legislation that helps meet the needs of all homeless persons.
Read NPACH's one pager in support of the HEARTH Act
Read NPACH's proposals for amending CPEHA
Posted by Jeremy Rosen on July 3, 2007 5:36 PM
| Permalink
February 16, 2007
HEARTH ACT - Special Section
HEARTH Act Amends HUD Definition of Homelessness and Improves Support For All Homeless Populations
The “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH),” H.R. 840,
reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs that are
administered by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). HEARTH provides greater decision making at the local level, more
closely aligns the HUD definition of homelessness with other federal
agency definitions (including the Department of Education), expands
resources for emergency shelter and supportive services, provides a
framework for greater homeless prevention activity, and allows
communities the flexibly to implement a range of housing solutions. A
summary of key provisions and other information is found in the links
below:
Call to Action and Summary of Key Provisions (Word Doc)
Press Release Announcing HEARTH Act (PDF)
Text of Legislation
Posted by Matt Achhammer on February 16, 2007 5:42 AM
| Permalink
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