From the National Alliance to End Homelessness...
House Approves $2.2 Billion for McKinney-Vento, $75 Million for VASH
Last night, the House approved H.R. 5850, the fiscal year (FY) 2011 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (T-HUD) Appropriations Bill. The bill includes a number of provisions to help people experiencing homelessness.
Although a proposed amendment to the bill would have eliminated funding for the HUD - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, the amendment was eventually withdrawn. As a result of YOUR help in making phone calls to your representatives, the final bill includes $75 million for HUD-VASH. We need to THANK our representatives for their support of this critical program for homeless veterans.
In addition to funding for HUD-VASH, the legislation includes:
- $2.2 billion for HUD's McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants (an 18 percent increase over FY 2010);
- $17.080 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance renewals (a $740.8 million increase over FY 2010), including:
- $85 million for 10,000 housing vouchers for the Housing and Services for Homeless Persons Demonstration;
- $350 million for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program (a $15 million increase over FY 2010);
- $4.829 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund (a $54 million increase over FY 2010); and
- $2.5 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund (no change from FY 2010).
The House approved $2.2 billion in funding for McKinney-Vento programs due to all of YOUR hard work. Although we need $2.4 billion to fully implement the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, we need to let our representatives know how appreciative we are to them for providing an 18 percent increase for McKinney-Vento programs.
For additional information on H.R. 5850, click here. The Senate is expected to approve its FY 2011 T-HUD spending bill in the fall.
What You Can Do:
- Call your Representative's office. You can find your Congressional office phone numbers by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Ask to speak to the person who works on housing issues.
- Ask them to THANK their boss for passing H.R. 5850 and approving $2.2 billion for McKinney-Vento programs and $75 million for HUD-VASH vouchers.
-----------------------------------The Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness is the statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in the Commonwealth of Virginia through community collaboration, capacity building, education and advocacy.Join us today!
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