I am your constituent and a firm believer that everyone deserves access to affordable, safe housing. Congress has underfunded housing and homelessness resources for decades and with escalating housing costs, more people need housing services than ever before.
I strongly urge you to push for allocations that address the gaps created from years of underfunding these essential programs by including these priorities in the FY2025 funding bills:
-Full funding to renew all existing contracts for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, and funding to expand assistance to at least 20,000 more households
-$6.2 billion for public housing operations and $5.1 billion for public housing capital needs
-$4.7 billion for HUD's Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) program
-Increased funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), and especially to increase staffing at HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) – particularly important for victims of domestic violence
-$100 million for the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP)
-At least $1.3 billion for Tribal housing programs, plus $150 million for competitive funds targeted to tribes with the greatest needs
-$800 million for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education
-$304 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Please keep me updated on the actions you take to address our affordable housing crisis—many in our community are counting on your leadership. Thanks!
First sent on May 6, 2024 by Jess Craven
