Newsletters: Help Your Community Effectively Address Homelessness

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For decades, federal funding for homeless solutions has been distributed using outdated funding formulas. These formulas result in an ineffective distribution of funds in communities across the country. Research demonstrates that poverty, coupled with housing market conditions related to availability of affordable housing and overcrowding, are major determinants of homelessness. Urge HUD to consider these factors in the creation of a new McKinney-Vento funding formula.

The campaign to change the McKinney Vento funding formula began in 2009, when 65 national leaders recommended a change in HUD's funding process. Over the next month HUD will be accepting comments on HEARTH regulations which will give us a new opportunity to weigh in on these issues.

When developing a revised formula, request the adoption of two major recommendations:

* Include only key factors directly related to homelessness: poverty, availability of affordable housing, and overcrowded housing.

* Create one formula for all metropolitan regions rather than continuing to use multiple formulas.

Take Action! Make sure your community has the resources it needs to address homelessness.

If you are an organization, please send an 'offical' organizational letter to HUD. Please click here to download the letter and urge HUD to distribute funds more equitably. (Submit comments regarding this rule to the Regulations Division, Office of General Counsel, 451 7th Street SW., Room 10276, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC 20410-0500. Communications must refer to the docket number and title.)

If you are an individual, advocate, or just wish to send your comments quickly online, HUD also provides an online link for public comments here. CUT AND PASTE COMMENTS HERE.

A new funding formula would ensure that when additional appropriations are available, they are dispersed to have the greatest impact. We only have a short time to make this happen, so it's critical that we come together now to shape how homeless dollars are distributed for years to come. For more information on the campaign to change the McKinney Vento funding formula read United Way's Policy Brief here.

There is a November 16 deadline, so do this today!