Categories: Federal
08.09.2018
The Network team joined the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Hill Day in Washington D.C. for the 18th consecutive year on July 23rd.
The Network team joined the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Hill Day in Washington D.C. for the 18th consecutive year on July 23rd. They met with legislators to advocate for improved funding and policies that could alleviate homelessness in the state of New York.
The group had 28 meetings with elected officials and their staff to advocate for sufficient funding for HUD programs integral to the solution to homelessness, including 1) $2.8 billion for McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance grants, 2) $23.1 billion for existing Housing Choice Vouchers and additional vouchers for veterans and people with disabilities, and 3) $678 million for senior housing (HUD 202).
They also advocated for policies that would encourage the development and sustainability of supportive housing units, such as legislation to improve Low Income Housing Tax Credits, protection of the National Housing Trust Fund and the reauthorization of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Most notably, the Network staff met directly Representatives Donovan, Faso, Katko, Tonko, Velazquez and Zeldin. The response from all the elected officials was overwhelmingly positive and they all acknowledged the dire need to curb homelessness.
Congressman Lee Zeldin wrote about the meeting on his official Facebook page.
“Last week, I met with New Yorkers from The Supportive Housing Network of New York to discuss ways to assist Americans in need trying hard to pull themselves out of dire financial situations. This Congress, I introduced legislation to make permanent the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program that provides financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing, because even just one homeless veteran is too many,” he wrote in response to the meeting.
The lobby day followed a three-day conference organized by NAEH that brought together nonprofits around the country to meet and share ideas and solutions to ending the homelessness crisis.
Read more about the NAEH Conference here
Read more about the Network’s 2018 federal budget priorities here