http://npach.org/HEARTH/ Information on the newly introduced HEARTH Act to reauthorize McKinney-Vento Homeless Programs. en Copyright 2008 Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:50:08 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss NPACH House testimony Definition Fact Check (debunks myths put forward by opponents of aligning HUD's definition of homelessness with the definitions used by the U.S. Departments of Education, HHS, and Justice) HUD Spending Fact Check (debunks the argument that homeless families are receiving a disproportionate share of HUD homeless assistance dollars and the claim that HUD's "Chronic Homelessness Initiative" has been successful Letter from 44 children, youth, and family focused organizations supporting alignment of HUD's definition of homelessness with the definition used by the U.S. Departments of Education, HHS, and Justice ]]> http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/11/new_hearth_act_materials_avail.html http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/11/new_hearth_act_materials_avail.html Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:50:08 -0500 The following is a list of organizations endorsing H.R. 840 - the HEARTH Act. Please send additional endorsements to Jeremy Rosen at jrosen@npach.org National Catholic Charities USA Child Welfare League of America Covenant House Family Promise Healthy Teen Network HEAR US National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) National Center on Family Homelessness National Coalition for the Homeless National Economic and Social Rights Initiative National Health Care for the Homeless Council National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty National Network for Youth National Network to End Domestic Violence National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) Volunteers of America Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP) State Homeless Coalitions Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness Florida Coalition for the Homeless Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless Minesota Coalition for the Homeless New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness Washington State Coalition for the Homeless Other State and Local Organizations Chance Outreach Programs, Inc., Lower Peach Tree, Alabama Cherokee County Crisis Center, Centre, Alabama Loaves and Fish Community Ministries, Mobile Alabama Arizona Behavioral Health Corporation (ABC), Phoenix, Arizona Delta-Hills Continuum of Care, Batesville, Arkansas Hunger-Free Arkansas, Inc, Little Rock, Arkansas America's Veterans, Marina del Rey, California Blacksmith Records, Inc., Los Angeles, California East Oakland Community Development Corporation, Oakland, California Families Forward, Irvine, California Housing Works, Los Angeles, California McKinney Contractors Association of San Francisco, California Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter, Costa Mesa, CA Religious Witness with Homeless People, San Francisco, California Interfaith Hospitality Network of Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs, Colorado Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Denver - Denver, Colorado Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry, Gainesville, Florida Citrus County Family Resource Center, Hernando, Florida Coalition to End Homelessness, Broward County, Florida Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, New Port Richey, Florida DeSoto County Homeless Coalition, Inc., Arcadia, Florida Help of Fort Meade, Inc., Fort Meade, Florida Community Leadership Consulting, Cooper City, Florida Homeless Family Center, Vero Beach, Florida Monroe Association for Retarded Citizens, Inc., Key West, Florida Monroe County School District, Key West, Florida Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity Inc, Fort Walton Beach, Florida Peaceful Paths from Gainesville, Florida South Brevard Sharing Center, Melbourne, Florida Samuel's House, Inc. Key West, Florida Georgia Task Force for the Homeless, Athens, Georgia Metro-Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, Atlanta, Georgia School Social Workers Association of Georgia The Carpenter’s Place, Rockford, Illinois HEAR US Inc, Naperville, Illinois Genesis Outreach, Inc., Fort Wayne, Indiana South Central Community Action Program, Bloomington, Indiana Crisis Intervention Services, Oskaloosa, Iowa Scott County Housing Council, Davenport, Iowa The Christian Shelter For The Homeless,Inc, London,Kentucky Northern Kentucky Housing and Homeless Coalition, Covington, Kentucky Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, Inc, Covington, Kentucky Shelter Resources, Inc. d.b.a. Belle Reve New Orleans, Louisiana Public Justice Center, Baltimore, Maryland Dismas House of Massachusetts, Inc, Worchester, Massachusetts Homeless Service Provider’s Network, New Bedford, Massachusetts Veterans Transition House, New Bedford, Massachusetts Cristo Rey Community Center, Lansing, Michigan Branch County Interfaith Hospitality Network – Cold Water, Michigan Community Psychologists of Minnesota, Fridley,Minnesota Elim Transitional Housing, Inc. - Mpls/St.Paul Metro Area, Minnesota Fargo Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons, Minnesota / North Dakota Hennepin County Family Homeless Prevention Advisory Committee, Minnesota Houston County Women's Resources, Hokah, Minnesota Integrated Community Solutions Inc. Fridley, Minnesota Island View Resort, Sand Lake, Minnesota Metrowide Engagement on Shelter and Housing, Minneapolis, Minnesota Watlov Family Charitable Foundation, Brainerd, Minnesota Mississippi Coalition For Citizens with Disabilities Hunterdon County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Flemington, New Jersey Ocean County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Tom’s River, New Jersey Somerset County Interfaith Advocacy Program – Somerville, New Jersey Sussex County Interfaith Hospitality Network - Newton, New Jersey Advocates for Children, New York, New York Covenant House, New York, New York New Destiny Housing Corporation, New York, New York Urban Ministries of Durham, Durham, North Carolina Project Connect, Columbus, Ohio Community Action Directors of Oregon (CADO), Salem, Oregon Achieve-Ability, Philadelphia, PA Dignity Housing, Philadelphia, PA Episcopal Community Services, Philadelphia, PA Horizon House, Philadelphia, PA Lutheran Settlement House, Philadelphia, PA Methodist Family Services of Phila., Philadelphia, PA Interfaith Hospitality Network (Phila), Philadelphia, PA Overington House, Philadelphia, PA PathwaysPA, Philadelphia, PA People’s Emergency Center, Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia Health Management Co., Philadelphia, PA Project H.O.M.E., Philadelphia, PA Project Rainbow/Drueding Center, Philadelphia, PA Salvation Army of SE PA, Philadelphia, PA Traveler’s Aid Society (of Phila), Philadelphia, PA Women Against Abuse, Philadelphia, PA Interfaith Hospitality Network of York County - Rock Hill, South Carolina Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Johnson City - Johnson City, Tennessee Foundation Communities, Austin, Texas House the Homeless, Austin, Texas UniversalLivingWage.org, Austin, Texas]]> http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/11/hearth_act_endorsers_updated_l.html http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/11/hearth_act_endorsers_updated_l.html Thu, 15 Nov 2007 08:34:00 -0500 Read the list of HEARTH Act endorsers NPACH urges you to lobby for the HEARTH Act, and the principle of local control that it represents. In contrast, the Senate is considering S. 1518, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act (CPEHA) – a bill supported by the Alliance and in large part by the Bush Administration. CPEHA would largely codify current HUD policy, while making some small positive changes that have mostly been incorporated in HEARTH. As a result, communities would be required to continue the current focus on ending chronic homelessness, whether or not this policy meets local needs. CPEHA does contain provisions that attempt to help communities focus on family homelessness and on ending homelessness in rural areas. However, the proposed homelessness prevention program would be a new program, subject to appropriations and with an overly narrow definition of who can be served. And CPEHA’s rural title does not adequately address the definition of homelessness in rural communities. NPACH believes that the HEARTH approach of expanding the definition of homelessness, allowing local communities to set priorities, and eliminating federal set-asides would address homelessness prevention and rural homelessness far more effectively. Advocates for homeless children, youth, and families must not remain silent, as we compile example after example of hardship after hardship suffered by people in need of assistance – domestic violence shelters closing because HUD has different funding priorities, families living in motels because they are unable to enter HUD funded homeless programs, youth surviving on the streets because service providers cannot access permanent housing resources, and young children and their parents, living in precarious housing situations, often moving many times during a school year, being told that they are not “homeless” and are therefore ineligible for HUD homeless assistance – children whose lack of housing and school stability may result in them growing up to be the next generation of “chronically homeless” single individuals. NPACH’s one page document in support of the House HEARTH Act can be found below. We have also posted a similar document on CPEHA, urging advocates to support a set of concrete changes that would dramatically improve the Senate bill. We urge you to use these documents to advocate for balanced McKinney-Vento reauthorization legislation that helps meet the needs of all homeless persons. Read NPACH's one pager in support of the HEARTH Act Read NPACH's proposals for amending CPEHA]]> http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/07/npach_commentary_welcome_to_washington.html http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/07/npach_commentary_welcome_to_washington.html Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:36:03 -0500 HEARTH Act Amends HUD Definition of Homelessness and Improves Support For All Homeless Populations The “Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH),” H.R. 840, reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs that are administered by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HEARTH provides greater decision making at the local level, more closely aligns the HUD definition of homelessness with other federal agency definitions (including the Department of Education), expands resources for emergency shelter and supportive services, provides a framework for greater homeless prevention activity, and allows communities the flexibly to implement a range of housing solutions. A summary of key provisions and other information is found in the links below: Call to Action and Summary of Key Provisions (Word Doc) Press Release Announcing HEARTH Act (PDF) Text of Legislation]]> http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/02/hearth_act_special_section.html http://npach.org/HEARTH/2007/02/hearth_act_special_section.html Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:42:34 -0500