UPDATED: May 12, 2009
(from Memo to Members' Newsletter, National Low Income Housing Coalition) McKinney Reauthorization Passes Senate
The Senate on May 5 passed the HEARTH Act as an amendment to S. 896, the "Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009." The HEARTH ("Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing") Act was introduced in the Senate as S. 808 and the House as H.R. 1877 on April 2.
The Act would consolidate the separate McKinney-Vento homeless assistance programs (the Supportive Housing Program, Shelter Plus Care, and Moderate Rehabilitation/Single Room Occupancy) into a single Continuum of Care Program and codify the continuum of care planning process. The Act would also create an Emergency Solutions Grants from the former Emergency Shelter Grants program, with new emphasis on prevention and rehousing that would be similar to the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP) enacted as part of the economic recovery package.
In addition, the HEARTH Act would expand 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.
The HEARTH Act was attached to S. 896 on an amendment offered by Senators Jack Reed, (D-RI) and Christopher S. Bond (R-MO) and supported by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), John Kerry (D-MA) Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Sheldon White House (D-RI). Senator Reed described the HEARTH act as "[G]ood, sensible reform legislation that will make our programs more effective and, hopefully, prevent people from losing their homes and keep them away from these tent cities that are sprouting up." The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
S. 896 will now be sent to the House, and action is expected soon.
