About this NAEH conference call
Well, a lot of the introductory material is in the main analysis document and an extremely handy homelessness/housing programs chart. Speakers are Phyllis Gilberti, NAEH'S director of mobilization and analysts Norm Suchar and Peggy Bailey, all of NAEH. The email address for questions is mobilizer@naeh.org and they promise to answer questions they receive whether on the conference call or off.
Ms. Gilberti notes, "the political environment has not been all that friendly for homeless people and programs in the past few years" but advocates have had some "modest success" in increasing McKinney-Vento funding and staving off "huge" cuts in Sec. 8.
Peggy Bailey lays out the basics: the budget proposal is $2.77 trillion, mostly defense, "homeland security," "foreign operations," and veterans' services, proposed increases mostly also in these areas. Discretionary funding -- "all the programs that we care about" -- would eliminate 141 programs at $15 billion. It also asks to cut $65 billion in mandatory programs. She notes the budget proposal does not include funding for the Iraq war or Hurricane Katrina relief, both of which are on an emergency appropriations basis. And tax cuts to the tune of some $280 billion are included in the budget, including the cost of tax incentives for corporate research and charitable giving. HUD and HHS spending, as percentages of discretionary spending, have declined if Medicaid and Medicare are excluded from the HHS figures.
From Norm Suchar: the HUD budget proposal is "a little very good news and a lot of pretty bad news." The good news being the McKinney-Vento proposed increases of $209 million to 1.536 billion. This however would include $25 million for a new "prisoner re-entry initiative" to be run through the Dept. of Labor, and he notes that last year this proposal was not enacted and it's doubtful Congress will approve this program this time around either. In general, he says Congress has never enacted the full amount of the appropriation the White House has sought for McKinney-Vento programs.
On Sec. 8 housing choice vouchers: the requested funding increase would be about 3%, providing about the same level of services as funded for 2006, a little more than what was funded in 2005 but not by much. A "pretty even level." Similarly with project-based vouchers, there's "a large increase in funding for project-based vouchers, but in a real sense of how many units that will actually fund, it's different from last year." Last year there were other sources of funding that are no longer available, so Congress has to be asked for more to maintain the same level of service.
"Public housing is again feeling the squeeze." Funding for capital expenses ("big-ticket repairs") would be cut by $261 million. HOPE VI would be eliminated -- something the White House has proposed before.
On Community Development Block Grants: in this year's "Strengthening America's Communities" proposal the White House didn't propose moving the program to the Dept. of Commerce, nor did they propose quite such deep cuts as last year, but still the proposed cuts are deep enough -- 20%. A formula change is also proposed, to move money from "higher-income communities" to "lower-income communities." It is however "very different to get something like that enacted." (Interestingly, the old "Strengthening America's Communities Initiative" Web site has disappeared from the Department of Commerce site.)
The HOME program has a proposed increase of $160 million of which $75 million would be for first-time homebuyers. The "American Dream Downpayment Initiative," as part of the HOME program, would receive $75 million more than its $25 million last year.
The budget proposal calls for cutting $118 million from the Sec. 811 disability housing program -- "essentially cutting the program in half." HUD and the Administration "seem to want to get out of the capital production business with Sec. 811." This year there's a proposed cut by $190 million, or "over a quarter of the program."
Finally, HOPWA would be increased $14 million, whereas last year they proposed cutting by $14 million to bring the total to $300 million.
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program, funded through FEMA, would receive $151 million, same as last year... Homeless Veterans' Reintegration, through the VA, would be $22 million...
For rural housing through USDA: "Sec. 515 would receive no funding for this year." Sec. 521 rural rental assistance would be cut by $167 million from $653 million last year. Sec. 542 rental vouchers would however get a $57 million increase.
When it comes to lobbying, among more predictable steps such as calls for letter-writing, Ms. Gilberti says they're working on passing SELHA, the proposed Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act, and on inviting members of Congress to visit local McKinney-Vento programs during the next few Congressional recesses. Outreach to moderate Republicans is a likely step.... A McKinney reauthorization bill has been introduced, not clear how or when it will move.... The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is to issue data on local impacts of the budget proposal...
[MORE: In the Q&A period, Mr. Suchar responded to a question on the reasons for the proposed Sec. 811 cuts by suggesting the important thing was to justify programs by pointing out their successes. He said McKinney programs have done well with the Administration because advocates have impressed them with the effectiveness of such programs, and in fact McKinney gets OMB's highest PART rating of any HUD program.
Later: a warning that programs recommended for increases also need to be protected in the coming budget season, since it often happens that cuts are initially proposed to programs that Congress won't in fact cut because they are defended by strong "grassroots," but then later in the process the cuts are taken out of other programs instead.]
Ms. Gilberti notes, "the political environment has not been all that friendly for homeless people and programs in the past few years" but advocates have had some "modest success" in increasing McKinney-Vento funding and staving off "huge" cuts in Sec. 8.
Peggy Bailey lays out the basics: the budget proposal is $2.77 trillion, mostly defense, "homeland security," "foreign operations," and veterans' services, proposed increases mostly also in these areas. Discretionary funding -- "all the programs that we care about" -- would eliminate 141 programs at $15 billion. It also asks to cut $65 billion in mandatory programs. She notes the budget proposal does not include funding for the Iraq war or Hurricane Katrina relief, both of which are on an emergency appropriations basis. And tax cuts to the tune of some $280 billion are included in the budget, including the cost of tax incentives for corporate research and charitable giving. HUD and HHS spending, as percentages of discretionary spending, have declined if Medicaid and Medicare are excluded from the HHS figures.
From Norm Suchar: the HUD budget proposal is "a little very good news and a lot of pretty bad news." The good news being the McKinney-Vento proposed increases of $209 million to 1.536 billion. This however would include $25 million for a new "prisoner re-entry initiative" to be run through the Dept. of Labor, and he notes that last year this proposal was not enacted and it's doubtful Congress will approve this program this time around either. In general, he says Congress has never enacted the full amount of the appropriation the White House has sought for McKinney-Vento programs.
On Sec. 8 housing choice vouchers: the requested funding increase would be about 3%, providing about the same level of services as funded for 2006, a little more than what was funded in 2005 but not by much. A "pretty even level." Similarly with project-based vouchers, there's "a large increase in funding for project-based vouchers, but in a real sense of how many units that will actually fund, it's different from last year." Last year there were other sources of funding that are no longer available, so Congress has to be asked for more to maintain the same level of service.
"Public housing is again feeling the squeeze." Funding for capital expenses ("big-ticket repairs") would be cut by $261 million. HOPE VI would be eliminated -- something the White House has proposed before.
On Community Development Block Grants: in this year's "Strengthening America's Communities" proposal the White House didn't propose moving the program to the Dept. of Commerce, nor did they propose quite such deep cuts as last year, but still the proposed cuts are deep enough -- 20%. A formula change is also proposed, to move money from "higher-income communities" to "lower-income communities." It is however "very different to get something like that enacted." (Interestingly, the old "Strengthening America's Communities Initiative" Web site has disappeared from the Department of Commerce site.)
The HOME program has a proposed increase of $160 million of which $75 million would be for first-time homebuyers. The "American Dream Downpayment Initiative," as part of the HOME program, would receive $75 million more than its $25 million last year.
The budget proposal calls for cutting $118 million from the Sec. 811 disability housing program -- "essentially cutting the program in half." HUD and the Administration "seem to want to get out of the capital production business with Sec. 811." This year there's a proposed cut by $190 million, or "over a quarter of the program."
Finally, HOPWA would be increased $14 million, whereas last year they proposed cutting by $14 million to bring the total to $300 million.
The Emergency Food and Shelter Program, funded through FEMA, would receive $151 million, same as last year... Homeless Veterans' Reintegration, through the VA, would be $22 million...
For rural housing through USDA: "Sec. 515 would receive no funding for this year." Sec. 521 rural rental assistance would be cut by $167 million from $653 million last year. Sec. 542 rental vouchers would however get a $57 million increase.
When it comes to lobbying, among more predictable steps such as calls for letter-writing, Ms. Gilberti says they're working on passing SELHA, the proposed Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act, and on inviting members of Congress to visit local McKinney-Vento programs during the next few Congressional recesses. Outreach to moderate Republicans is a likely step.... A McKinney reauthorization bill has been introduced, not clear how or when it will move.... The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is to issue data on local impacts of the budget proposal...
[MORE: In the Q&A period, Mr. Suchar responded to a question on the reasons for the proposed Sec. 811 cuts by suggesting the important thing was to justify programs by pointing out their successes. He said McKinney programs have done well with the Administration because advocates have impressed them with the effectiveness of such programs, and in fact McKinney gets OMB's highest PART rating of any HUD program.
Later: a warning that programs recommended for increases also need to be protected in the coming budget season, since it often happens that cuts are initially proposed to programs that Congress won't in fact cut because they are defended by strong "grassroots," but then later in the process the cuts are taken out of other programs instead.]
posted by Martha Bridegam at 11:29 AM
<< Home