VCEH's analysis of the 2010-2012 state budget shows:

• A 20 percent reduction in the Homeless Intervention Program,

• A 50 percent decrease in the Child Services Coordinator Grant,

• Level funding for the State Shelter Grant program, and

• Funds available for SRO Predevelopment which have not been available in recent years.

There were budget cuts to other critical services including foreclosure prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, social services, case management, job training -- programs that often serve to prevent homelessness. The impact of these cuts is likely to contribute to increases in homelessness.

Click here for estimated fiscal year 2011 and 2012 state homeless program funds.

What's Next?:

• VCEH's agenda is to increase resources for outcome-oriented and evidence-based homeless prevention, homeless assistance, and affordable housing programs. We will be developing a legislative agenda for the next General Assembly session over the course of the year focused on our program priorities. Our next steps include building relationships with legislators prior to the next General Assembly session and educating them on the solutions and needed policy changes to prevent and end homelessness in the Commonwealth.

           If you are interested in becoming involved in policy development
           and advocacy efforts to prevent and end homelessness in Virginia,
           please email vceh@vceh.org.

• SEND VCEH ANY OUTCOME DATA OF YOUR COMMUNITY OR AGENCY EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS. We will use this information in our educational efforts to demonstrate that programs work and are ending homelessness one person and family at a time. (Thank you to those who already sent this information. For those of you that did not, please send ASAP!)

More Information on the Budget:
In budget years, the Governor develops the budget proposal in December, and it is this budget proposal that becomes the budget bill. Governor Kaine developed the 2010-2012 biennium budget in December.

Governor McDonnell released his own budget proposal in February which included deeper cuts to the homeless programs as well as many other critical social service programs. The final state homeless program fund levels were the levels originally proposed by Governor Kaine.

More information on the budget

On a Positive Note...

Two bills related to foster care passed that will have a positive impact on efforts to prevent and end homelessness.

HB 718, patroned by Delegate Christopher Peace, requires the Governor and the General Assembly to develop and implement a plan to reduce the number of children in foster care by 25 percent within 10 years.

There is a connection between housing, homelessness, and foster care involvement. Families experiencing homelessness are at higher risk for losing their children to foster care. And families often cannot be reunified with their children because they lack stable housing. Assisting a family with housing is far cheaper than keeping children in foster care unnecessarily.

It is now our job to ensure that housing is adequately addressed in this plan.

SB 415, patroned by Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel, requires local departments to provide independent living services to any person between 18 and 21 years of age who requests such services and is in the process of transitioning from foster care to self-sufficiency. The bill also extends the time period during which a person between the ages of 18 and 21 may request restoration of independent living services if they previously terminated such services. Local departments are required to provide a person who chooses to leave foster care or terminate independent living services written notice of their right to restore independent living services.

Click here for VCEH's Brief on the Intersection of Housing, Homelessness and Foster Care Involvement.