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| November 14, 2011: Hastings and House Democrats Call for Expanding Resources to Prevent and End Homelessness |
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(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) sent the following letter to Chairman Tom Latham and Ranking Member John Olver of the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies of the House Committee on Appropriations, requesting increased funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in the final FY 2012 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act. Joining Hastings in sending the letter are Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson, Gwen Moore, Madeleine Bordallo, Robert Brady, Corrine Brown, David Cicilline, Emanuel Cleaver, Gerald Connolly, Joe Courtney, Danny Davis, Ted Deutch, Keith Ellison, Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, Bob Filner, Marcia Fudge, Al Green, Raúl Grijalva, Luis Gutiérrez, Rubén Hinojosa, Mazie Hirono, Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., Hank Johnson, Dennis J. Kucinich, Rick Larsen, Barbara Lee, Ben Ray Luján, Carolyn Maloney, Doris Matsui, Carolyn McCarthy, Jim McDermott, Jim McGovern, Jerry McNerney, Gregory Meeks, George Miller, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Mike Quigley, Laura Richardson, Bobby L. Rush, Jan Schakowsky, Louise Slaughter, Pete Stark, Ed Towns, Chris Van Hollen, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mel Watt, and Frederica Wilson. (Please find below and attached a copy of the letter). November 14, 2011 The Honorable Tom Latham The Honorable John Olver Dear Chairman Latham and Ranking Member Olver: Thank you for your commitment to expanding resources for preventing and ending homelessness. Based on their proven track record and the number of people experiencing homelessness in our communities, we respectfully urge you to provide an increase in funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in the final FY 2012 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act. Investment in HUD's Homeless Assistance Grants will help prevent and end homelessness in the midst of one of America's deepest economic crises, when we are seeing increasing numbers of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. According to the most recent data from HUD, nearly 650,000 people are homeless on a given night in America, including nearly 110,000 who are chronically homeless and 241,000 persons in families. HUD also estimates that approximately 76,000 veterans are homeless on a given night. Further increases in homelessness are expected in the coming years if nothing is done. It is simply unacceptable for our nation's heroes, families with children, and others to be sleeping on the streets. Communities like ours need to make substantial progress in implementing the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009, a landmark reauthorization of homeless assistance that applies two decades of research, innovation, and experience to improve HUD's homeless assistance programs. It supports solutions like permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people, which can actually save taxpayer dollars by helping to stabilize people cycling in and out of expensive systems. The Recovery Act's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) has served 1,000,000 people to date, but these funds are running out and homelessness is increasing. The HEARTH Act will allow communities to transition their successful HPPR initiatives into their long-term efforts to prevent and end homelessness and to continue the focus on cost-effective solutions to chronic homelessness. During these tough economic times, we must work to support lasting solutions to homelessness funded through McKinney-Vento programs. In the October 17, 2011 Statement of Administration Policy regarding H.R. 2112, the Senate minibus, the Administration expressed its support for providing additional funds for Homeless Assistance Grants in FY 2012 in order to "enable progress on implementing the HEARTH Act and the Federal Strategic Plan to End Homelessness." Funding these important priorities will not only allow our communities serve the increasing number of people in need of assistance, but will also help our communities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their homeless assistance systems. Chairman Latham and Ranking Member Olver, we urge you to provide an increase in funding in the final FY 2012 Transportation-HUD Appropriations Act for the HUD Homeless Assistance Grants program to help the hundreds of thousands of Americans who are homeless each night and to more fully implement the HEARTH Act. Thank you for considering this request, and for your continuing leadership on efforts to prevent and end homelessness in the United States. Sincerely, Alcee L. Hastings Eddie Bernice Johnson Gwen Moore Corrine Brown Rubén Hinojosa Luis V. Gutiérrez Raúl M. Grijalva Edolphus Towns Laura Richardson Carolyn Maloney Keith Ellison Pete Stark Barbara Lee Al Green Louise M. Slaughter Bob Filner Emanuel Cleaver, II Chris Van Hollen Mike Quigley Hank Johnson Mazie K. Hirono Gregory W. Meeks Carolyn McCarthy Frederica Wilson Robert Brady Ben Ray Luján Jan Schakowsky Debbie Wasserman Schultz Rick Larsen Danny K. Davis Jerry McNerney Madeleine Bordallo Bobby L. Rush Marcia L. Fudge William Pascrell, Jr. Joe Courtney Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. George Miller Jim McDermott Jim McGovern Gerald E. Connolly Doris Matsui Ted Deutch Eni F.H. Faleomavaega Dennis J. Kucinich David Cicilline Melvin L. Watt
Congressman Alcee L. Hastings serves as Senior Member of the House Rules Committee, Ranking Democratic Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and Democratic Chairman of the Florida Delegation. ###
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Letter_to_THUD_Approps_re_HUD_Homelessness_Program_Funding_11.14.11.pdf
