Many bills on child, youth, and family homelessness were introduced in the first session of the 116th Congress, and will continue to make their way through the legislative process next year. We’ve briefly summarized the status of eight of the bills that impact children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness most directly, starting with SchoolHouse Connection’s top legislative priorities.

1. Funding for Programs that Provide Targeted Support for Homeless Children and Youth: Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Appropriations (H.R.1865)

Summary: The two federal programs specifically targeted to support children and youth experiencing homelessness received funding increases in the final FY2020 appropriations package. The McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program was funded at $101.5 million, which is an 8.5% increase over the previous year, and a 32% increase over the past four years. The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program was funded at $132 million, which is a 4% increase over the previous year, and the first increase in funding since FY2018.

Other vital early care, education, and housing programs for children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness received funding increases in the FY2020 budget. This chart summarizes federal funding for selected programs over the past four years.

Outlook and Action needed:  Congress has shown a willingness to increase investments in programs that support the education and life success of children and youth experiencing homelessness. With historic levels of family and youth homelessness in our nation, continued support for these programs will be necessary in FY2021. We will post revised fact sheets and sample letters for FY2021 appropriations advocacy in early January. Please check our federal policy page to learn how you can continue to support these vital programs.

 

2. The Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2019 – HEASHFY (S.789/H.R.1724)

Summary: Youth experiencing homelessness and youth from foster care face unique barriers to accessing and completing higher education. Lack of family and supports, coupled with histories  of neglect, abuse, trauma, mobility, and deep poverty, create roadblocks to their path to and through post-secondary education. Yet higher education is the surest path to stability and to avoid homelessness as adults.

The Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2019 – HEASHFY (S.789/H.R.1724) is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would ensure that homeless and foster youth benefit from college access programs, have access to financial aid without burdensome and prohibitive documentation, and receive the support they need to stay in school and graduate.

Current Status: While HEASHFY was not considered as a stand-alone bill in the House, all of its provisions were included in the College Affordability Act (H.R. 4674), which passed out of the House Committee on Education and Labor on October 31, 2019 by a party-line vote of 28-22. Most of the financial aid provisions in HEASHFY were included in the bipartisan FAFSA Simplification Act (S. 2667), sponsored by Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Senator Doug Jones (D-AL).

Outlook and Action Needed: While it is unclear if Congress will act on higher education legislation in 2020, we do know that the more cosponsors a bill has, the stronger the show of support for its provisions, whenever Congress does act. Please urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act.

 

3. Homeless Children and Youth Act – HUD Homeless Assistance Reform (H.R. 2001)

Summary: Millions of homeless children and youth are shut out of HUD’s homeless assistance programs because they do not meet HUD’s restrictive definition of homelessness. While these children and youth are considered homeless by other federal agencies, they aren’t even eligible to be assessed for HUD homeless assistance – no matter how vulnerable they are.

The Homeless Children and Youth Act, HR 2001, fixes this problem. This bipartisan bill allows homeless children and youth to be seen and served by aligning federal definitions of homelessness for children and youth, streamlining assistance, leveraging resources, and bringing greater visibility to the reality of family and youth homelessness.

Current Status:  H.R. 2001 was referred to both the House Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Education and Labor for consideration. It currently has 15 cosponsors.

Outlook and Action Needed: Homelessness and housing continue to be hot topics. Increasing the number of cosponsors for H.R. 2001 is important to show support for including its provisions in future housing, homelessness, or budget legislation. Please urge your U.S. Representative to cosponsor the Homeless Children and Youth Act.

 

4. Housing for Homeless Students Act (H.R. 4865/S.767)

Summary:  Homeless and formerly homeless youth must choose between housing and pursuing education full-time because they are not exempt from a rule in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program that prohibits tenants in the program from being full-time students. Exceptions are made for part-time students, former foster youth, married students, TANF recipients, and several other student groups.

The Housing for Homeless Students Act, H.R. 4865/S.767, is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would update the LIHTC Program to allow full-time students to live in LIHTC housing if they have experienced homelessness within the last seven years. The bill also includes homeless or formerly homeless veterans pursuing full-time education.

Current Status:  H.R. 4865 was referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means, and S. 767 was referred to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration.

Outlook and Action Needed:  Homelessness and housing continue to be hot topics. Increasing the number of cosponsors for H.R. 4865/S.767 is important to show support for including its provisions in future tax legislation. Please urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the Housing for Homeless Students Act.

 

5. The Affordable Housing for Educational Achievement Demonstration Act of 2019 (the AHEAD Act) (S. 3011)

Summary:  Homelessness can be a significant barrier to educational success. School districts are uniquely positioned to help prevent and address issues related to child and family homelessness, while housing providers can play a critical role in promoting positive outcomes for children and families by providing stable housing opportunities and other services. The AHEAD Act, S. 3011, would provide funding to help school districts, housing authorities, and community partners to collaborate in unprecedented ways to address children’s education and housing needs in a coordinated fashion.

Current Status: S. 3011 was referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions for further consideration.

Outlook and Action Needed:  Homelessness and housing continue to be hot topics. Increasing the number of cosponsors for S. 3011 is important to show support for including its provisions in future legislation. Please urge your U.S. Senators to cosponsor the AHEAD Act.

 

6. Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R.5191/S.2916)

Summary: The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program serves homeless youth by meeting their immediate needs, providing long-term residential services, and conducting prevention and outreach efforts to move youth out of homelessness.

The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act of 2019 (H.R. 5191/S. 2916) is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would reauthorize the RHYA program, making important updates such as extending the allowable length of stays in Basic Center Programs, ensuring Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion assistance, and increasing age eligibility for services up to the age of 25 in Transitional Living Programs.

Current Status:  H.R. 5191 was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor, and S. 2916 was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further consideration.

Outlook and Action Needed: Youth homelessness is receiving unprecedented attention from policymakers. Increasing the number of cosponsors for H.R.5191/S.2916 is important to show support for passing it as a stand-alone bill or including its provisions in other legislation. Learn more from our close partners, the National Network for Youth, who leads national efforts on RHYA reauthorization.

 

7. The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019 (S. 3083)

Summary: Homelessness contributes to learning, behavioral, and mental health problems in children, setting them up for continued hardship and poverty. A combination of housing support and case management can prevent these negative outcomes.

The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2019 (S. 3083) is bipartisan legislation that would create an additional 500,000 housing vouchers over five years for low-income, high-need families with young children. Pregnant women and families with a child under age 6 would qualify for these new vouchers if they have a history of homelessness or housing instability, live in an area of concentrated poverty, or are at risk of being pushed out of an opportunity area. The legislation also would provide families receiving the new vouchers with access to counseling and case management services that have a proven track record of helping families move out of poverty.

Current Status:  S. 3083 was referred to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs for further consideration.

Outlook and Action Needed: Homelessness and housing continue to be hot topics. Increasing the number of cosponsors for S. 3083 is important to show support for including its provisions in future housing or budget legislation. Please urge your U.S. Senators to cosponsor S. 3083. The legislation and a one-page summary may be found on the press release from Senator Young (R-IN) and Senator VanHollen (D-MD).

 

8. National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month (S. Res. 423)

Summary:  Public schools identified 1.3 million homeless children and youth in 2016-2017, a 4% increase over the previous year. Preliminary data from the U.S. Department of Education indicate that public schools identified over 1.5 million homeless children and youth in the 2017-2018 school year, a ten percent increase over the previous school year, and the highest number on record.  Head Start programs also reported record levels of homeless children, from 26,200 homeless children in 2007-2008 to 58,771 in 2018-2019 – a 124% increase.

A resolution to recognize November 2019 as National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month was introduced by Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and twelve other U.S. Senators.  It is the first resolution to recognize both child and youth homelessness, from infancy to young adulthood. The resolution includes information about the extent and impact of child and youth homelessness, and supports the efforts of businesses, organizations, educators, and volunteers to meet the needs of homeless children and youth

Current Status:  The resolution passed the U.S. Senate on November 14, 2019. Read the resolution and Senator Manchin’s press release.