EE Article Type: Federal Policy Brief

Opposition Statement to the Homeless Children and Youth Act

You might have heard of the Homeless Children and Youth Act (S.256), which was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein to address family and youth homelessness. The Alliance opposes this bill because it will not solve the housing problems of families and youth that it aims to, and makes significant changes to the homeless assistance system that are unnecessary, burdensome, and harmful. This document explains three detrimental impacts this bill would have and suggests alternative approaches to address the problems the bill aims to address.

HUD-VA Supportive Housing Vouchers

The HUD-VASH program is a joint program of the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA). Congress should continue to make ending homelessness among veterans a top priority by providing $75 million within HUD and $278 million with VA for new HUD-VASH vouchers in FY 2014, the amount requested in the President’s Budget Proposal to house an estimated 10,000 additional veterans.

Medicaid Health Homes: Emerging Models and Implications

This policy brief discusses how Medicaid health homes can help improve the behavioral and physical outcomes for vulnerable people experiencing homelessness and lead to positive housing outcomes.The brief explains the Medicaid health home benefit under the Affordable Care Act, and reviews models that have already been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

LGBTQ Youth National Policy Statement

As many as 20 percent of the runaway and homeless youth population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). This suggests as many as 80,000 LGBTQ youth are homeless for over a week each year. These young people face particular difficulties. Ending homelessness for LGBTQ youth will require specific policies to address those difficulties.

PAGE: 1 2