Senator Lautenberg is a co-sponsor
Call on Members of Congress to Co-Sponsor
Tools
Original Co-Sponsors, S. 808 / H. R. 1877
HEARTH Act Summary
Legislative Update: McKinney Reauthorization
Last Thursday, both the House and Senate introduced legislation to reauthorize HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants Program. The bill would substantially improve communities’ ability to re-house homeless families, people with disabilities, and people with a housing crisis.
S. 808, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, was introduced by Senators Reed (D-RI) and Bond (R-MO) and 12 original co-sponsors. The House version, H. R. 1877, was introduced by Representatives Moore (D-WI) and Biggert (R-IL) and 6 original co-sponsors.
Senator Frank Lautenberg at the 2nd Annual Congressional Reception
The only current co-sponsor from New Jersey is Senator Frank Lautenberg. It is imperative that we call upon all the members of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation to become co-sponsors.
This year’s version of the HEARTH Act is almost identical to the version that passed the full House and gained bipartisan support in the Senate in the 110th Congress.
The Advocacy Network and our national partners strongly supports the HEARTH Act (S. 808 /H. R. 1877), and we encourage you to join us in calling on Senators and Representatives to become co-sponsors. In addition, this bill’s importance should encourage you to join us for both Lobby Day on April 22nd as well as the 3rd Annual Congressional Reception on July 28th.
NEXT STEPS:
Craft your argument. Below are additional materials and talking points. Click here to find out if your Member of Congress has co-sponsored previous versions of this legislation.
Write, email, and call your Members of Congress and their DC housing staff person. Letters to Members should be faxed.
Congressional office phone numbers can be found by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.
Staff emails typically use the following formula: bob.smith [Email address: bob.smith #AT# mail.house.gov - replace #AT# with @ ] or bob_smith [Email address: bob_smith #AT# X.senate.gov - replace #AT# with @ ] (X= Senator’s last name).
Ask Senators to co-sponsor S. 808: To do so, staff can contact Kara Stein with Senator Reed’s office (kara_stein [Email address: kara_stein #AT# reed.senate.gov - replace #AT# with @ ] / 202-224-4705).
Ask Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1877: To do so, staff can contact Andrew Stevens with Representative Moore’s office (andrew.stevens [Email address: andrew.stevens #AT# mail.house.gov - replace #AT# with @ ] / 202-225-4572).
Please contact us and Sarah Kahn of NAEH [Email address: skahn #AT# naeh.org;rbrown@njaneh.org;acohen@hcdnnj.org - replace #AT# with @ ] with questions and responses from staff (908-272-5363 ext 225 or 202-942-8259)
MORE INFORMATION
When final bill language is posted, NAEH will update us on their McKinney Reauthorization web page.
Previous HEARTH Act Co-Sponsors
KEY POINTS
The Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee unanimously approved similar legislation last year and a version was passed overwhelmingly by the full House. The bill:
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Increases priority on homeless families with children, by providing new resources for rapid re-housing programs, designating funding to permanently house families, and ensuring that families are included in the chronic homelessness initiative.
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Significantly increases resources to prevent homelessness for people who are at risk of homelessness, doubled up, living in hotels, or in other precarious housing situations through the Emergency Solutions Grant program.
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Continues to provide incentives for developing permanent supportive housing and provides dedicated funding for permanent housing renewals.
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Grants rural communities greater flexibility in utilizing McKinney funds.
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Modestly expands the definition of homelessness to include people who are losing their housing in the next 14 days and who lack resources or support networks to obtain housing, as well as families and youth who are persistently unstable and lack independent housing and will continue to do so.
