The House Committee Bills and Senate Committee Bills for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ) that passed out of Committee propose various funding levels to assist homeless people and people at-risk of homelessness compared to the enacted FY2016 and the enacted FY2017 funding levels, the latter which was not enacted at the time the budget request was prepared, with cuts to some programs totaling $200 million in the House Committee Bills and $27 million in the Senate Committee Bills.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
The Senate and House Committee Bills for HUD propose to decrease, maintain, or increase funding in various programs that assist homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness: Homeless Assistance Grants, Community Development Block Grants, Tenant Protection Vouchers and Family Unification Program, and HUD-VA Supportive Housing (VASH) and Tribal HUD-VASH Vouchers.
For Homeless Assistance Grants, the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $2.456 billion, which is $73 million more than the enacted FY2017 level, and the House Committee Bill provides $2.383 billion, which is the same as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate and House amounts, respectively, include $270 million for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), which is $40 million less than the enacted FY2017 level, $2.099 billion and $2.106 billion for Continuum of Care and Rural Housing Stability Assistance Programs, which is $119 million and $88 million more than the enacted FY2017 level, and $7 million for the National Homeless Data Analysis Project, which is $5 million less than the enacted FY2017 level, and $55 million and $0 for the Youth Demonstration and Technical Assistance, which is $12 million more and $43 million less than the enacted FY2017 level. In addition, the Senate Committee Bill proposes $25 million for Domestic Violence Rapid Re-Housing and Supportive Services. The House and Senate bills should provide an additional $40 million in ESG funding to provide the same level of funding as in FY2017 and the House bill should provide at least an additional $55 million for the Youth Demonstration for homeless youth to continue the demonstration and expand it to a total of 15 locations to assist the thousands of homeless youth without shelter and provide $25 million for Domestic Violence Rapid Re-Housing and Supportive Services for rapid re-housing projects and supportive service projects to assist the thousands of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking without shelter.
For the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $3.0 billion, which is the same as the enacted FY2017 level, and the House Committee Bill provides $2.9 billion, which is $100 million less than the enacted FY2017 level. The decrease could result in a decrease in funding for homeless shelter construction and operations, as the CDBG program provided for $35 million in assistance to homeless people with $18.9 million for the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of homeless facilities and $16.1 million for the operating costs of programs for homeless persons and AIDS patients in FY2016. The House bill should provide an additional $100 million to maintain assistance levels for homeless people.
For Tenant Protection Vouchers and the Family Unification Program, the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $95 million, which is $35 million less than the enacted FY2017 level, and the House Committee Bill provides $60 million, which is half (or $60 million less than) the enacted FY2017 level. The amounts in the Senate and House Committee Bills would likely result in fewer vouchers for individuals and families who are homeless or at heightened risk of homelessness, including families with children at risk of imminent placement or in delayed discharge out of out-of-home care because of the lack of adequate housing and youth who were formerly in foster care and individuals and families seeking witness protection or whose homes are facing conversion or demolition. The Senate bill should provide an additional $35 million for Tenant Protection Vouchers and the House bill should provide an additional $50 million for Tenant Protection Vouchers and $10 million for Family Unification Program vouchers to maintain assistance levels for homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness and additional funding for 3,000 additional vouchers for youth leaving or aging out of foster care so that they do not become homeless or can escape homelessness.
For HUD-VASH Vouchers, the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $40 million additional HUD-VASH vouchers and $5 million for Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers, which is $2 million less for Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers, but the House Committee Bill does not provide any additional funding for HUD-VASH vouchers and provides $7 million for Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers. The Senate bill would result in fewer vouchers dedicated to provide housing with supportive services to Native American veterans and their families that are homeless or at risk of homelessness and the House bill would result in no new additional HUD-VASH vouchers for homeless veterans. As a result, tens of thousands of veterans and their families would likely remain homeless and in unsheltered locations. The Senate bill should provide an additional $2 million for Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers and the House bill should provide an additional $40 million for HUD-VASH vouchers to maintain funding for the Tribal HUD-VASH recipients and continue to reduce the numbers of homeless and unsheltered veterans.
Department of Homeland Security
The House Committee Bill for DHS proposes level funding for a program that assists homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness under the purview of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: Emergency Food and Shelter program.
For the Emergency Food and Shelter Program, the House Committee Bill proposes funding of $120 million, which is the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee have not yet passed an appropriations bill for DHS. The House and Senate bills should provide $120 million to continue to assist homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness with shelter and food.
Department of Health & Human Services
The House Committee Bill for HHS proposes to not fund one program that helps families avoid and escape homelessness — the Assets for Independence program — and to provide level or near level funding for various programs that assist homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Program, Runaway and Homeless Youth and Transitional Living Program Activities, Education Grants to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway Youth, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Family Violence and Prevention Services Programs and the Domestic Violence Hotline. The Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee have not yet passed an appropriations bill for DHS.
For LIHEAP, the House Committee Bill proposes funding of $3,390,304,000, which is the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate bill also should provide $3,390,304,000 to maintain assistance for home heating and energy bills for low-income families who have limited income for rent and utilities and most likely to become homeless or without heat during cold weather without such support.
For the SSBG, the House Committee Bill proposes funding of $1.7 billion, which is the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate bill also should provide $1.7 billion to maintain assistance, including hundreds of millions of dollars for housing, legal, and employment and training services, independent/transitional living for youth, adoption services, pregnancy and parenting services for young parents, family violence prevention and intervention services, protective services for vulnerable persons, and special services for persons with disabilities.
For the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Transitional Living Program Activities, Education Grants to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway Youth, and Independent Living Education and Training Vouchers, the House Committee Bill proposes funding of $101,980,000, $17,141,000, and $43,257,000, which are the same amounts as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate bill also should provide $101,980,000, $17,141,000, and $43,257,000 for these programs to maintain funding to provide shelter, safety, and transitional living services to homeless youth.
For the TANF Program and TANF Contingency Fund, the House Committee Bill maintains the mandatory funding levels of $16.739 billion and $608 million, which are slightly more than and the same as the enacted FY2017 levels, respectively. The Senate bill should sustain funding for the TANF Program and TANF Contingency Fund to help families with living expenses and thereby avoid or escape homelessness through Basic Assistance, Work Related Activities/Expenses, Child Care, Transportation and Supportive Services, Non-recurrent Short-term Benefits, and Individual Development Accounts.
For the Family Violence and Prevention Services Programs, the Domestic Violence Hotline, and Assets for Independence, the House Committee Bill proposes funding of $151 million, which is the same as the enacted FY2017 level, $8.75 million, which is $500,000 more than the enacted FY2017 level, and $0, which is the same as the enacted FY2017 level and $18.95 million less than the enacted FY2016 level, respectively. The Senate bill also should provide $151 million for the Family Violence and Prevention Services Programs and $8.75 million for the Domestic Violence Hotline to maintain funding to prevent family and domestic violence and provide shelter and services for adults and children escaping family and domestic violence. Both the House and Senate bills should provide $18.95 million for the Assets for Independence program to assist families, especially those experiencing domestic violence, with maintaining safety and avoiding homelessness.
Department of Justice
The Senate and House Committee Bills for DOJ propose level or increased funding in various programs that assist homeless people and people at heightened risk of homelessness: Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs — Transitional Housing, Victims of Trafficking, and Reentry Programs and Research and Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing.
For Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs — Transitional Housing, the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $31 million and the House Committee Bill provides funding of $30 million, which is $1 million more than and the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level. The House and Senate should maintain and increase funding for Transitional Housing to provide shelter for the tens of thousands of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in emergency shelter or without shelter.
For Victims of Trafficking, both the Senate Committee Bill and the House Committee Bill propose funding of $45 million, which is the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level. The Senate and House should maintain and increase funding for Victims of Trafficking to provide shelter for survivors of trafficking without shelter.
For Reentry Programs and Research, which includes Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing, the Senate Committee Bill and House Committee Bill propose funding of $70 million and $68 million, which is $2 million more than and the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level, respectively. For Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing, the Senate Committee Bill proposes funding of $5 million, which is the same amount as the enacted FY2017 level, but the House Committee Bill does not provide a specified amount. The House bill should propose $5 million in specified funding for Pay for Success Permanent Supportive Housing to ensure maintenance of assistance for homeless persons and families who are high users of homeless services, health care, corrections facilities, and other crisis services.
Overall, the Senate and House Committee Bills propose to decrease, maintain, or increase funding for various programs that provide shelter and other services to homeless individuals and families and to those at risk of homelessness. With half a million adults and children who are homeless on a given night and more than 175,000 of them without even a basic shelter, Congress should maintain and increase, instead of decrease, funding for programs that provide critical and life-saving shelter, food, and other assistance to people who are currently homelessness and who are at heightened risk of homelessness.
