Federal Policy Update: 2014 Capitol Hill Day

1. Federal Policy Update: 2014 Capitol Hill Day Capitol Hill Day Materials: http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/capitol-hill-day-2014

2. Lines are muted to facilitate this call. Introductory Logistics Submit Questions! If you have questions during the webinar, submit them in the question box on your control panel. We will answer as many questions as possible at the end of the webinar. A recording of this webinar will be posted online / emailed in the next few days

3. Introduction Federal Policy Overview and Outlook Capitol Hill Day Logistics and Policy Overview Policy Priorities: Update, Talking Points, Action Needed Questions Today’s Agenda

4. Appropriations Bills moved quickly, then stalled Not likely going anywhere in the next two weeks before August Recess Could be stalled until after elections Bills overall, especially HUD bills, are weak Senate bill is slightly better than House, but both are bad HHS bills haven’t moved forward VA bills okay, could be better Federal Policy: Overview and Outlook

5. Capitol Hill Day is Thursday, July 31! Thank you State Captains for organizing Hill Day! Contact Grant Sims, (gsims@naeh.org/ 202-942-8257) for info about participating in congressional visits. Hill Day Logistics

6. Check in: Advocacy Information Table (across from Registration) Get your Capitol Hill Day packet and materials Find out when your state’s prep session is Meeting for all State Captains – 8 am Wednesday Congressional meetings mostly Thursday afternoon Hill Day Logistics

7. Reflects critical issues being considered AS WE SPEAK Issues we can impact at the time of the conference Prioritize issues for each meeting  more progress Alliance can help you decide which issue(s) to focus on with each Member of Congress Capitol Hill Day Policy Agenda

8. Policy Priority Updates

9. Appropriations: VA Latest Update: • FY 2014 level: $1.4 bill • Admin: $1.6 billion • Full House approved FLAT FUNDING on April 30 • Senate Appropriations Committee improved upon VA’s proposal by $41 million Talking Points: • Need • Continue progress • Cost-effectiveness • Community partnerships

10. Appropriations: VA Programs Provide $1.641 billion for homeless veteran programs within VA, including: • $500 million for Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF); • $253 million for Grant and Per Diem; and • $374 million for HUD-VASH case management (significant increase).

11. Provide $2.405 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento programs Latest Update: Final FY 2014 Level: $2.105 billion Administration: Requested $2.406 billion Full House: $2.105 B (flat funding) Senate Appropriations Committee: $2.145 B Appropriations: McKinney

12. Appropriations: McKinney What will these funding levels do? • $2.105 billion – House • No money for new projects • Won’t cover all FY 2014 renewals – will lead to CUTS in the next NOFA, and absolutely no money for new projects • At least $200 million for ESG • $2.145 billion – Senate • No money for new projects • Likely to cover FY 2014 renewals, though estimates are rough • At least $200 million for ESG

13. Talking Points These programs work! Focus on outcomes and impact on homelessness Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Rapid Re-Housing and Prevention Still seeing increased need This is likely to get worse as FY 2013 NOFA cuts are implemented Will provide sufficient funding to help us meet the 2016 goal of ending chronic homelessness Appropriations: McKinney

14. RHYA Program • Update: • President’s Request: $114 million for RHYA plus $2 million for study • House and Senate Appropriations: no bills yet • Request: • Alliance and National Network for Youth Request: $140 million for RHYA, including dedicated funding for prevalence & incidence study

15. RHYA Appropriations • Action Steps: • Let Members of Congress know about how homeless youth in your community are impacted by lack of targeted youth resources. • Request funding at $140 million, including $2 million for incidence and prevalence study

16. RHYA Appropriations • Talking Points: • Demand for Services Greatly Exceeds Supply • RHYA Is An Effective Program • Youth Without Services Are Highly Vulnerable • RHYA can Help Youth Avoid Long-Term Homelessness, System Involvement, and Victimization • Accurate Data from Incidence and Prevalence Study Required to Ensure Congress and Localities Right-Size and Target Interventions to Meet Needs

17. Status – Sequestration downsized the program, last year’s FY 2014 bill got back some but not nearly all of the lost capacity. HUD-VASH – a different story, all good news there, 10,000 more vouchers in all proposals, probably enough to end veterans homelessness given other developments Administration request – $20.045 billion House bill – $19.357 billion Senate bill – $19.562 billion Housing Choice Vouchers aka Section 8

18. Upshot – outside of HUD-VASH, House and maybe Senate bills go backward compared to FY 2014 Best case scenario for Senate bill is that if PHA payments to landlords don’t go up, we might keep the number of families housed at FY 2014 levels Housing Choice Vouchers aka Section 8

19. Our goals: Make sure there’s enough money to fund the 10,000 HUD VASH vouchers and the number of other vouchers that were funded in FY 14 (Administration’s request). Make further progress at undoing the damage caused by sequestration, through new vouchers targeted at highest-need households. Housing Choice Vouchers aka Section 8

20. NLIHC Trust Fund Overview Ed Gramlich, Special Advisor Sham Manglik, Senior Policy Analyst July 22, 2014

21. National Housing Trust Fund- Housing Finance Reform • House Ask: Support the percentage (75%) of funding going to the National Housing Trust Fund in the draft Housing Opportunities Move the Economy (HOME) Forward Act sponsored by House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), and in H.R. 5055, the Partnership to Strengthen Homeownership Act, sponsored by Representatives John Delaney (D-MD), John Carney (D-DE), and Jim Himes (D-CT). • Senate Ask: Support the percentage (75%) of funding going to the National Housing Trust Fund in the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2014 sponsored by Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Chair Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) www.nlihc.org

22. National Housing Trust Fund- Tax Reform • House Ask: Co-sponsor H.R. 1213, the Common Sense Housing Investment Act sponsored by Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN). • Senate Ask: Support the United for Homes campaign’s proposed changes to the mortgage interest deduction in comprehensive tax reform legislation. www.nlihc.org

23. National Housing Trust Fund- Tax Reform • The United for Homes campaign has proposed two key changes to the mortgage interest deduction: • (1) lowering the cap on the size of a mortgage for which a household can get a tax break from $1 million to $500,000 and • (2) converting the deduction to a 15% nonrefundable credit. These two changes, phased in over 10 years, would raise $230 billion that should be applied to the NHTF. www.nlihc.org

24. Other Policy Issues • Budget and Appropriations • Extending the Federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act www.nlihc.org

25. Contact NLIHC Sham Manglik Senior Policy Analyst sham@nlihc.org 202.662.1530 x 243 ----- Ed Gramlich ed@nlihc.org 202.662.1530 ext 314 www.nlihc.org

26. Not a year for business as usual The Administration has backed Opening Doors, and under that plan this year is the time to finish the job of funding work to end veterans homelessness, and chronic homelessness Congress needs to put the money on the table to finish the job They won’t do it unless they hear from constituents that it’s important, and that the money will make good things happen. Call to Action!

27. Capitol Hill Day Materials: http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/capitol-hill-day-2014 For more information, contact: Kate Seif: cseif@naeh.org / 202-942-8256 Julie Klein: jklein@naeh.org / 202.942.8281 Grant Sims: gsims@naeh.org / 202.942.8257