TRUMP BUDGET WOULD DEVASTATE ALREADY FRAYED SAFEY NET, INCREASE HOMELENSSESS
Coalition of national advocates calls on President to hold national summit on homelessness, prioritize housing and other key programs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — The Trump Administration’s budget makes $6.2 billion in cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and eliminates the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which has spearheaded coordinated efforts that have reduced veteran homelessness by as much as 47%. The budget also targets programs under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, such as the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program that help keep people in housing and prevent homelessness.
“Last year, millions of Americans—including children, youth, families, veterans, people with disabilities and serious health conditions, and elderly people—lived in shelters, on the streets, and doubled up with others because they could no longer afford their own housing.” said Maria Foscarinis, Founder and Executive Director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “If enacted, President Trump’s budget would devastate the already frayed safety net, threatening large increases in homelessness.”
This morning, more than a dozen leading national homeless advocacy organizations sent a letter to President Donald Trump raising concerns about his proposed budget, calling for a national summit on the homelessness crisis and setting forth 6 major recommendations based in proven strategies for ending homelessness.
The letter states that homelessness can and must be ended and prevented through effective, responsible policies that:
1. Ensure access to affordable housing;
2. Support access to justice, including stopping the criminalization of homelessness;
3. Preserve and expand progress in fair housing and equal opportunity;
4. Provide services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness;
5. Support homeless students’ access to education;
6. Ensure comprehensive health care for all Americans.
More details, and the statistics backing these solutions, are available in the letter.
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The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (www.nlchp.org) is the only national organization dedicated solely to using the power of the law to prevent and end homelessness. With the support of a large network of pro bono lawyers, we address the immediate and long-term needs of people who are homeless or at risk through outreach and training, advocacy, impact litigation, and public education.
Contact: Eric Tars
202-638-2535 ext. 120
