The President has proposed that Congress provide $2.406 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2015 for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants—a $301 million, or 14%, increase over the final FY 2014 funding level. Now, it’s up to us to ensure Congress follows through on the recommendation.
Having $2.406 billion in funding next year would make it possible to fund the 37,000 rent subsidies necessary to move towards the goal of ending chronic homelessness by the end of 2016. If the House or Senate’s proposed funding levels ($2.105 billion and $2.145 billion, respectively) become law, the best case scenario is no new funding and the worst case scenario is budget cuts to both the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG) and transitional and permanent supportive housing funded through local Continuum of Care networks.
More detailed talking points are available by clicking here.
What You Can Do
Please join people around the country between September 8 and 12 by participating in this call-in effort organized by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
In Illinois, we can have the most impact by making calls to Senator Mark Kirk who is a member of the Appropriations Committee’s Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) Subcommittee.
We need Senator Kirk to let Committee Vice Chairman Richard Shelby know that providing $2.406 billion for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program in FY 2015 is a high priority.
Call Senator Kirk’s DC office at 202-224-2854 and press 1 to leave your message, which can be as short as a following:
“Please contact Senator Shelby to let him know you support $2.4 billion for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in FY 2015. This will support efforts to end chronic homelessness in my community.”
We appreciate you taking action.