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September 28, 2004
SENATE STANDS UP FOR HOMELESS HOUSING; HOUSE STILL WANTS BIG CUTS
Last Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Committee stood up for homeless housing and public housing programs, rejecting radical cuts and program changes sought by the Bush Administration and extremist conservatives in the House of Representatives.
SECTION 8 VOUCHERS: Responding to tenants, advocates and public housing agencies from around the country, the Senate Appropriations Committee included $2.2 billion more than the President requested for the Section 8 program and rejected the Administration's "Flexible Voucher Proposal," fully funding all existing Section 8 vouchers.
HOPWA: Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funding was $294.8 million for FY05, about the same as the FY04 level and the same as the budget request. The House VA-HUD bill would have cut HOPWA by $12.6 million.
MC-KINNEY-VENTO: The Senate bill does not cut McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants funding the way the House bill did. The Senate Committee included $1.26 billion for McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance, virtually the same level as last year. The Bush Administration had sought multi-million dollar cuts in the programs.
The Senate rejected Bush Administration requests for an additional $25 million for prisoner reentry services, and $50 million for the Samaritan Initiative (supportive housing for chronic homelessness); both programs may be on the table for the upcoming conference committee, but could be funded through cuts to other worthy programs.
TAKE ACTION TODAY TO PROTECT AIDS HOUSING: Urge your congressional representative to fully fund the HOPWA Program by going to www.congress.org (type in your zip code to locate Members of Congress) which lists addresses and phone numbers for local district offices as well as their offices in Washington, DC. The message is simple:
"Americans with AIDS and HIV need housing to survive. The HOPWA program makes the difference between life and death. For this year's VA-HUD funding, the Senate provides $12 million more than the House, and we need every dime of that money. Please fight for the Senate HOPWA funding level, $294.8 million. Thanks for your support."