Ann Sewill, Vice President of Housing & Economic Opportunity at the California Community Foundation, explains the Foundation's recent advocacy work around Los Angeles's Proposition HHH and the outcome of this support from a public-private coalition.

Funders Together CEO, Amanda Andere, reflects on the mission and work of philanthropy in this post-election phase and what it means to move forward as a collective group as we all work to prevent and end homelessness under a new administration.

We believe philanthropy has a voice in addressing homelessness and advancing solutions to prevent and end it with Congress and Presidential administration. As Funders Together to End Homelessness prepares to work with this administration, together with our national partners we are focused on continuing to make preventing and ending homelessness a bi-partisan priority. To accomplish this, we are focused on the following: 

This page will serve as a collection of information that will continually be updated with new reports, fact sheets, websites, and other resources that support these priority areas. 

1. Housing stability is an issue that affects education, health, and work force development. We believe in expanding the supply of housing, including affordable housing, and strengthen connections of these efforts with others to foster better health, economic mobility, and educational achievement.

• Government funding for programs that affect housing stability is critical as philanthropy cannot do it alone.
  
  
• In late March 2018, a budget was passed for FY18 and includes many highlights for the work to end homelessness. Here are some key takeaways from the most recent budget (via the National Alliance to End Homelessness):
  • $4.4 billion increase to the ten largest HUD accounts which is the largest one-year increase in the last 20 years.
  • $130 million increase to HUD Homeless Assistance grants which is estimated to move an additional 20,000-25,000 people into housing.
    
  • Section 8 renewals are fully funded for both project-based Section 8 and vouchers. In addition, there are funds for new "incremental" vouchers: $40 million for HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) for veterans with disabilities experiencing homelessness, $20 million for the Family Unification Program (FUP), and ~$385 million for 811 vouchers for individuals with disabilities.
  • $800 million increase to Public Housing
  • $400 million increase to HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)
  • $300 million increase to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)
  • 12.5% increase in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC)
  • Read remarks by Steve Berg, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Sarah Mickelson, National Low Income Housing Coalition, about the FY18 budget and what it means for communities around the country. 
    
    
• On May 15, the House Appropriations Subcommittee released its draft FY19 spending bill. The draft bill includes:
  • Maintaining the 10% increase in HUD funding from the FY18 budget with additional increases for FY19.
  • An increase in homeless assistance programs funding from $2.513 billion to $2.546 billion.
  • The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) funded at $3.6 million.
  • Public housing capital repairs and operating funds level with FY18 dollars at $2.75 billion and $4.55 billion, respectively.
  • Funding for the Family Self-Sufficiency program remaining level at $75 million.
  • No funding for Family Unification vouchers.Project-Based Rental Assistance facing a $168 million decrease from FY18, lowering funding to $11.347 billion.
  • $22.48 billion for tenant-based rental assistance.
  • Level funding for both Veterans Affairs Support Housing (VASH) at $40 million.
  • Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) level-funded at $3.365 billion and the HOME Investments Partnership program funding decreased to $1.2 billion.
  • Read our May Federal Budget Update for a look at some of the budget decisions that impact housing and homelessness, an update on the THUD FY19 Budget proposal, and what philanthropy can do to push for continued and increased funding in housing and homelessness.
    
    
    
• Funders Together has created a Priorities for the New Congress and Administration messaging guide. This document reflects 2017-2018 messaging but is in the process of being updated with FY19 language. However, it can still be used to understand how we plan to lift up philanthropy's voice, role, and influence. It can also be used as a messaging guide for your own advocacy efforts. Download the Word document here for easy editing. Check back soon as we will be updating this as we learn more.

Resources:

National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) Budget Chart

NLIHC: Advocates and Congressional Champions Secure Increased Funding for Affordable Housing in 2018

NLIHC CEO, Diane Yentel's Twitter Thread on Omnibus Budget

National Alliance to End Homelessness VP of Programs and Policy, Steve Berg's Twitter Thread on Omnibus Budget

MANY: The Conclusion of Federal Funding in FY18

CSH: Policy Alert

True Colors Fund: Here's What the 2018 Federal Budget Means for Homeless Youth

National Alliance to End Homelessness Policy Priorities

National Low Income Housing Coalition: Opportunities To End Homelessness and Housing Poverty In A Trump Administration 

2. Early intervention that stops the cycle of homelessness and poverty is critical for youth and young adults.

• As a founding member of A Way Home America we believe the following transition priorities will be critical to systems change needed to provide a more stable future to our youth. The A Way Home America Transition Plan identifies actions and strategies necessary to prevent and end youth and young adult homelessness. The Transition Plan is intended to inform the next Presidential Administration, federal appointees, and members of congress on our collective goals to end youth and young adult homelessness.
  
  

3. Strengthening the connections between employment services and homelessness services to both prevent homelessness and ensure that exits from homelessness are permanent, stable, and successful.

Resources:

Integrating Rapid Re-Housing & Employment: Program & Policy Recommendations for Enhancing Rapid Re-Housing

4. An accurate census count is essential to our efforts to prevent and end homelessness and the fair dispersal of funding for people and areas that need it most.

Resources:

Funders Together 2020 Census resource page

As a funder, how can you take action?

If you are a public foundation or United Way and can engage in direct lobbying, here are some action steps you can take:

1. Sign up for the National Alliance to End Homelessness’s Advocacy Updates and take action by contacting public officials. Feel free to use the Priorities for the New Congress and Administration Messaging Guide for language around public-private partnerships and modify it to fit your foundation’s message.
2. You can also participate in non-lobbying advocacy efforts. See examples below.

If you are unable to partake in direct lobbying efforts, here are some advocacy efforts you can participate in:

1. Consider facilitating conversations between your grantees and public officials. Use your convening power to host a philanthropy-led bipartisan town hall where grantees can talk about their work and philanthropy can feature the nature of its investment and how philanthropic dollars can’t be expected to “fill the gap”.
2. Write targeted op-eds in key communities. Philanthropy’s voice is important when talking about public-private partnerships. Highlighting work being done in key areas can have a ripple effect and educate community members and public officials alike. If you are interested, contact Funders Together and we can identify these key communities and assist with your op-ed strategy.
3. Fund small emergency advocacy grants. Consider asking grantees about how a small emergency advocacy grant could be used to help with their efforts around strategy, communications, or grassroots engagement.  

Learn more about the "Cans" and "Cannots" of being a funder involved in advocacy and lobbying efforts and get more ideas of action steps you can take through our "Advocacy - A Funder's Role" webinar. 

Additional Resources

Funders Together Statement on Confirmation of Dr. Ben Carson as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Trump picks Pam Patenaude to serve as HUD deputy secretary

White House to Nominate HUD Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary for CPD

National Alliance to End Homelessness: Ready for the New Congress - 8 Things They Might Do With Big Impacts on Homelessness

National Alliance to End Homelessness: Administrations Budget Blueprint - What It Means For Homelessness

Grantmakers Income Security Taskforce 2016 Post-Election Policy Briefing Resources

Post-Election FAQs for the National Health Care for the Homeless Coalition Community

Bolder Advocacy: Philanthropy Advocacy Playbook

Bolder Advocacy: Transition Team Advocacy

If you have any questions regarding our transition priorities, or have a resource to share, please feel free to contact Amanda Andere at [email protected].

Initial Learnings from Foundation for Youth Success

Advocacy is a powerful tool to utilize in the work to end and prevent homelessness as it can educate, engage, and build essential relationships. And as funders, we can, and should, be a leading example. 

Just a few weeks ago, the Los Angeles chapter of Funders Together to End Homelessness held its quarterly meeting to discuss the role of advocacy in moving the needle toward ending homelessness. The big question at the meeting: What elements of a successful advocacy campaign can philanthropy support to make greater impact?

View this resource as a PDF

Our Approach

Because homelessness has no single cause or solution, Funders Together to End Homelessness believes that:

• We must rethink the systems that have allowed homelessness to persist.
  
  
• We must support those who are calling for the integration of homelessness systems with other systems working to improve the lives of American families.
  
  
• We must improve collaborative efforts and strategic partnerships among philanthropy, government, business leaders, advocates, and service providers.
  
  

How We Get There

In order to end and prevent homelessness, we need adequate and affordable housing as well as appropriate income and employment opportunities.

Funders Together supports:

• Full and adequate funding for housing vouchers, public housing, and housing-related supportive services for vulnerable individuals and families
  
  
• Creation and funding of housing trust funds at national, regional, and local levels
  
  
• Use of federal funds to provide emergency housing assistance to those in need
  
  
• Creation of jobs for low income families that provide meaningful opportunities for work, skills development, and ultimately, career growth
  
  
• Creation of jobs for youth and young adults, especially those not in school
  
  
• Competitive grants to allow for the training of those who are unemployed
  
  
• Adequate childcare and transportation programs so low income parents can keep their jobs
  
  
• Strengthening the connections among federal assistance, job training, and homeless assistance programs

If you have any questions about these policy principles, please contact Anne Miskey.

View this resource as a PDF

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Philanthropy was a catalyst for the funding of the National Housing Trust Fund, which will increase access to housing for low-income families.

Reflections on our 2014 Funders Institute