HUMAN RIGHTS »» POVERTY »» HOMELESSNESS »» Apr 17, 2023

High housing costs sometimes force impoverished Americans to choose between shelter and other necessities such as food and medication. In 2018, there were about 533,000 Americans living in shelters, cars, abandoned buildings, with friends and relatives, on the street or in some other place not meant for human habitation. About 70% of these people live on their own or in the company of other adults. The remaining 30% are families with children. Nearly 1 in every 30, or 2.5 million American children, are now homeless in the United States. Homeless children often do not receive adequate education, nutrition or health care. Many who grow up poor and without homes are never able to escape this cycle of poverty. A 2019 report to Congress reveals that nearly half (48%) of all homeless individuals are unsheltered. Advocates say unsheltered homelessness is caused by many factors, but can be exacerbated by a lack of accessible, low-barrier shelters. Shelter bed availability varies greatly by state. Some states (Maine, West Virginia, Kansas and Delaware) have enough beds to shelter 90% of their homeless population, while others, particularly on the West Coast, have capacity for less than half of their homeless population. Advocates say we will continue to have large homeless populations if states keep cutting services to reverse budget deficits, and if the number of low-paying jobs continues to increase. Advocates also worry the current COVID-10 pandemic will likely increase our number of homeless due to the economic disruptions preventing many Americans from paying housing expenses. Proposed Legislation: H.R.4496 - Ending Homelessness Act of 2021 Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Maxine Waters (CA) I oppose reforming current homelessness policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA). I support funding the creation of 410,000 new units of housing for people experiencing homelessness and effectively end widespread homelessness and housing instability by: 1.) Expanding and transforming the Housing Choice Voucher program into a federal entitlement that would be phased in over eight years, 2.) Prohibiting landlords from discriminating against renters based on source of income and veteran status. 3.) Appropriating $10 billion in funding over 5 years for the Housing Trust Fund and McKinney-Vento grants to fund the creation of permanent affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness 4.) Providing funding for outreach and case management to connect persons experiencing homelessness to needed services, as well as for technical assistance to help states and local jurisdictions better align their healthcare and housing strategies. 5.) Permanently authorizing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which authorizes the main homeless assistance grant programs under HUD’s jurisdiction. 6.) Permanently authorizing the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which serves a critical role in coordinating the overall federal strategy to end homelessness. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sponsor: Rep. Maxine Waters (CA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» No issues were voted

I support funding the creation of 410,000 new units of housing for people experiencing homelessness and effectively end widespread homelessness and housing instability by: 1.) Expanding and transforming the Housing Choice Voucher program into a federal entitlement that would be phased in over eight years, 2.) Prohibiting landlords from discriminating against renters based on source of income and veteran status. 3.) Appropriating $10 billion in funding over 5 years for the Housing Trust Fund and McKinney-Vento grants to fund the creation of permanent affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness 4.) Providing funding for outreach and case management to connect persons experiencing homelessness to needed services, as well as for technical assistance to help states and local jurisdictions better align their healthcare and housing strategies. 5.) Permanently authorizing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which authorizes the main homeless assistance grant programs under HUD’s jurisdiction. 6.) Permanently authorizing the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which serves a critical role in coordinating the overall federal strategy to end homelessness. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Sponsor: Rep. Maxine Waters (CA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Number of Letters Pledged

0

Number of Monetary Pledges

0

Money Pledged

$0

Number of Trustee Suggestions

0

Top 30 Keywords From Trustee Suggestions

Key Word	Times Used