Policy Priorities


New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn advocates for greater HUD funding.

On any given night there are an estimated 672,000 people who are homeless in the United States. While there are various programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that provide affordable housing and support services to our nations most vulnerable residents, most of these programs are severely underfunded.

The Network advocates for the following budget and policy actions, which would significantly increase the availability of funds to start meeting this need.

Fund HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program at $2.4 billion. This would:

  • Create an estimated 9,000 new units of supportive housing;
  • Cover the operating and service costs for 295,000 permanent supportive and transitional housing units across the country; and
  • Implement the provisions of the HEARTH Act, which would streamline -- and strengthen local oversight of -- the current program and fund more homeless housing and services.

Fully Fund HUD Rental Assistance for Existing Tenants  

The Administration’s request of $19.2 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers and $9.4 billion for Project Based Rental Assistance covers the increased cost of fair market rents for existing vouchers and provides no new vouchers nationally. Additionally, $75 million is needed to support 10,000 new Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers. 

Protect and Expand Capital Development Funding for Extremely Low-Income Affordable Housing Production

Providing start-up funding of $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund and maintaining the $1.6 billion for the HOME program will ensure that states and localities continue to build much needed affordable and supportive housing. This funding helps communities meet the housing demand, creates tens of thousands of living-wage construction jobs and leverages more than $6 billion in private and public investment. Based on last year’s allocation, New York State would receive $111 million in Housing Trust Funds and $144 million in HOME funds.  

Strengthen Rental Assistance Programs by passing key provisions in H.R. 1209, the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) or the proposed Section Eight Savings Act

See here for more details.

Pass the Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011, (H.R. 1133, S. 441)

These bills would encourage greater collaboration between the VA and the nonprofits that are already working in the community providing case management, employment services and other social services to homeless and disabled veterans. The bill would also ensure greater distribution of rental assistance to veterans in rural areas.