On July 15th, the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations committee passed its fiscal year 2022 (FY2022) spending bill, which includes proposed increases to the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, Health, and Human Services, and other federal agencies.
The spending bill includes:
- $116.6 million in FY2022 funding for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program. This is a 9.4% increase from its FY2021 appropriation.
- $149.7 million in FY2022 funding for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs. This is a 9.5% increase from its FY2021 appropriation.
- Report language to improve the quality and kind of data on homelessness reported by the Office of Child Care.
- Report language to improve the amount and uses of Title I Part A setasides for children and youth experiencing homelessness.
While we appreciate the proposed funding increases in the House bill, more funding is needed to meet the growing unmet needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness — and the only federal programs targeted to serving them.
Students of color, students with disabilities, students who are English Language Learners, and LGBTQ students are disproportionately represented among students experiencing homelessness; therefore, in order to achieve educational equity, it is imperative that programs which serve these historically underserved populations are consistently and adequately funded.
In the wake of COVID-19 and the eviction crisis, family and youth homelessness is expected to increase — especially for students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners who are also experiencing homelessness. Without the rights and protections of the EHCY program, these students struggle to access any other federal education investment or program.
Current Status
Subcommittee bill received successful passage out of the full Appropriations committee, and is expected to receive a floor vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives as part of its larger appropriations package during the week of July 26th.
U.S. Senate committees are expected to hold markups of FY2022 spending bills in coming weeks.
Action Needed
Please contact your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative and urge them to support additional funding for the only two federal programs specifically targeted to supporting homeless children and youth – the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth program (EHCY) and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) programs.
- Use this action form to personalize a template letter to be sent to your Members of Congress, requesting their support for the EHCY and RHYA programs.
- Meet with your U.S. Senators, or their staff, to advocate on behalf of these programs; SHC is happy to facilitate this. For SHC to organize a virtual meeting between you, your Member of Congress, or a member of their staff, please sign up with this form, or email Alleanne Anderson.
Other Highlights
The chart below provides recent and proposed funding levels for selected programs supporting children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
