I’d like to start off this week’s CEO Corner with some positivity: if you’ve been following the Alliance’s work the past several months, you have heard us highlight what we refer to as glimmers. They are the intentional opposite of triggers – things that give us a moment of joy, of hope, of safety. Our staff shares out glimmers frequently on our Slack channel, and I want to share a few that we’ve collected recently.
Thanks to the advocacy of dozens of statewide partners, California Governor Newsom has signed SB 634 – a law that will, among other things, prevent local governments from removing supportive services that are critical to effectively serve people experiencing homelessness. Congratulations – this is a huge victory for the state!
In Rhode Island, Crossroads Rhode Island just opened the largest Permanent Supportive Housing building in New England, with 176 units.
And the Senate passed the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act (S. 2651) last week, the first comprehensive bipartisan housing bill in over a decade. The Alliance wants to thank Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for leading these bipartisan efforts to strengthen homelessness response.
Each small step (and glimmers like these) can push us in the right direction, and remind us what we’re fighting for.
I cannot overstate this point enough: what we are fighting for right now will impact our programs and the people we serve for years to come. We need everyone to show up. And I mean everyone. Bring your staff, your neighbors, your book clubs, your parent friends in the school pickup line, your board, your in-laws, your donors, your church groups, your volunteers – we need everyone off the bench, and in the game.
Two Things You Can Do This Week
Reach out to your Senators by October 15
Thanks to your continued and persistent advocacy regarding the FY2025 Continuum of Care Program Notice of Funding Opportunity, four senators are leading a Congressional sign-on letter to garner support for federal homelessness funding.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are calling for HUD to “expeditiously renew current CoC grants for fiscal year 2025 as authorized by Congress to protect communities and avoid displacing thousands of our nation’s most vulnerable individuals.”
We hope that you will reach out to your Senators today and ask them to sign on their support to this letter by end of day on Wednesday, October 15.
Keep pushing for funding renewals
Urge your Members of Congress to include a provision in the short-term continuing resolution: section 166 would require HUD to renew all existing Continuum of Care grants expiring during calendar year 2026 for one 12- month period.
If the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development goes forth with its plan, more than 170,000 people – who have already overcome homelessness – will end up back on the streets. We simply cannot let this happen.
Including this no-cost provision in Congress’ continuing resolution will renew expiring federal grants, and prevent hundreds of thousands of people from becoming homeless again. If you need some tips on where to start your advocacy, the Alliance team has made a tip sheet for you to use.
Looking Forward
As you all know, we are nearly two weeks into the current federal government shutdown. Shutdowns are never easy; I have been through a few of them in my career and know how it can add extra difficulty to the work of homelessness and housing providers, as well as uncertainty for people in programs whose rent is coming due.
While much of the government remains at a standstill, our work cannot.
For the past several weeks, the Alliance has urged you to put pressure on your elected officials. We need to be loud in this moment, and not just to Congress. Talk to your landlords, property developers, business owners, local law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and more; any and all stakeholders who intersect with our work will be impacted if HUD’s plan goes forward.
If anyone has ever asked you a question about homelessness, about your work, or about what they can do to help, now is the time to enlist them.
Take Care,
Ann
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