NJ Delegation votes 11-1 in favor!
Last night, by a vote of 355 to 61, the full U.S. House of Representatives approved the HEARTH Act, S.1518 / H.R. 7221, legislation to substantially improve the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program. The Advocacy Network and the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) would like to thank the bill’s champions, the late Congresswoman Julia Carson (D-IN), Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Congresswoman Judy Biggert (D-IL), and Congressman Geoff Davis (R-KY), as well as the members of the House Financial Services Committee for their hard work and dedication to passing this critical legislation. The bill now awaits Senate approval.
The passage of this important legislation was a key part of the Advocacy Network’s agenda at the 2nd Annual Congressional Reception. We strongly encourage our members to contact their Congressmen to thank them for supporting this important legislation.
In New Jersey those voting in favor were:
Rep. Robert Andrews (D-1st)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd)
Rep. Jim Saxton (R-3rd)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th)
Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6th)
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th)
Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9th)
Rep. Donald Payne (D-10th)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th)
Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th)
Rep. Albio Sires (D-13th)
Voting no was Rep. Scott Garrett (R-5th).
Not voting was Rep. Michael Ferguson (R-7th).
We strongly encourage our members to contact their Congressmen to thank them for supporting this important legislation.
Click here to find out how all House Members voted so that you can thank them for their support.
This is the first reauthorization of HUD’s McKinney programs since 1992. It will provide communities with new resources and better tools to prevent and end homelessness. The bill:
1. 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.
2. 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 program.
3. Continues to provide incentives for developing permanent supportive housing and provides dedicated funding for permanent housing renewals.
4. Grants rural communities greater flexibility in utilizing McKinney funds.
5. 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.
We are very grateful for the undying work of advocates who helped push this bill through the House. We will provide you with further analysis of the bill in the coming weeks.
