Policy & Legislation
McKinney-Vento Reauthorization Helps Transform Fight to End Homelessness
June 03, 2009
Embedded in the major foreclosure prevention bill (recently signed into law by President Obama) was an amendment to reauthorize the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Referred to as HEARTH and formerly known as S. 808, the legislation modernizes the approach to ending homelessness in our communities. Specifically, it streamlines the McKinney-Vento competitive grants program, simplifies the match requirement, provides new resources for homelessness prevention, and expands the definition of homelessness to include families and those who are doubled-up or in other precarious housing situations.
The bill also provides incentives for rapid re-housing and development of more affordable, permanent homes as solutions to end homelessness. The National Alliance the End Homelessness has an excellent fact sheet describing the legislation in more detail.
Contact: Zack Olmstead, 916.447.0503 x108 or .
