Stop Bad From Becoming Worse:
Unemployment Benefits Should Continue
The Health Care for the Homeless community has long known that livable wages and benefits are a key component to preventing and ending homelessness. The current rate of unemployment has caused too many families to lose their housing, but unemployment benefits can help stem that tide and serve as a critical income support during a difficult time. Unfortunately, some in Congress want to stop the extension of unemployment benefits. Call your members of Congress today to make sure that these benefits continue to reach those who need them, which will prevent more of our neighbors from sliding into homelessness.
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The House and Senate are currently negotiating how, if at all, to extend unemployment benefits beyond the end of the month. Conservatives in the House of Representatives have proposed to reduce the maximum time one can receive unemployment benefits from 99 weeks to 59 weeks, allow mandatory drug testing, and refuse benefits to those without a GED or diploma (click here for a detailed account of the House proposal). Many in Congress oppose these provisions, but without some compromise between the House and Senate, emergency unemployment benefits for millions of Americans will cease on February 29.
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Contact your members of Congress (both House and Senate) today by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 1(877) 210-5351. Tell them to support a clean, full-year extension of unemployment benefits - no cuts, no barriers. Millions of Americans depend on it!
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President's FY2013 Budget Request
The President released his FY2013 Budget Request on Monday Feb. 13. While Congress will not likely adopt it without significant changes (look for future Mobilizers on this!), here are some highlights set by the Administration:
- Health Centers: Flat funded at $1.6 billion. The $1.5 billion in additional funding through the ACA provides a net $300 million increase.
- Housing: Includes funding for the National Housing Trust Fund and increases Homelessness Assistance to $2.2 billion (an increase of $300 million). Other housing programs received variable support (some were reduced, some were increased).
- Deficit Reduction: $50 billion in reductions to Medicaid over ten years. $1.5 trillion in new revenue over ten years. Many of these proposals were offered during the debt ceiling debate, so are not new.
View the Council's budget chart and the President's budget website for more detail.
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National Day of Action to Combat the Criminalization of Homelessness
Our friends at the Western Regional Advocacy Project are organizing a national day of action on April 1, 2012 to protest the growing number of local ordinances that criminalize homelessness. These ordinances do not reduce homelessness and only serve to further stigmatize those struggling to overcome the burdens of homelessness. Click here to learn more about the day of action and how your community can participate.
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