On February 27, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its latest COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan Act, H.R. 1319. The bill now moves on to the Senate, where it is expected to be amended, then sent back to the House for approval.
SchoolHouse Connection is pleased to see broad support for low-income families and young adults, and especially the extension of the Earned Income Tax Credit to unaccompanied homeless youth and foster youth at age 18. However, we remain deeply concerned by the lack of dedicated funding for children and youth experiencing homelessness.
- In previous COVID-19 relief packages, lack of dedicated funding has translated to a failure to support the most vulnerable students, leaving them further disconnected from education and essential services. In a survey of 1,444 school district homeless liaisons conducted in September and October of 2020, only 18 percent indicated that CARES Act funds were being used to support homeless children and youth.
- In part because the CARES Act did not specifically allocate funding to support children experiencing homelessness, an estimated one in four homeless children (420,000 homeless children) have gone unidentified and possibly unenrolled in public schools due to COVID-19. These students are disproportionately students of color, English learners, Native students, and students with disabilities, compounding barriers and trauma.
- Without specific, intentional assistance, children and youth experiencing homelessness face barriers to very basic educational access, services, and housing. They are too easily overlooked among many competing demands. We fear deep and lasting inequities if the House language is unaltered.
TAKE ACTION NOW
We need your immediate help in contacting Senators, especially if you live in the following key states: AK, AL, CA, CO, CT, FL, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OR, PA, RI, SC, UT, VA, VT, WA, and WI. Please urge US Senators (especially those represented on the Senate education and budget committees) to include dedicated funding to meet the unique needs of children and youth experiencing homelessness in the COVID-19 relief package.
Step #1: Locate the email address of the selected U.S. Senator’s education staff through this contact sheet.
Step #2: Personalize and localize this email, including your city/state:
“I urge Senator [INSERT LAST NAME] to include dedicated funding for children and youth experiencing homelessness in the next COVID relief package. Without specific targeted funding, homeless children and youth are unlikely to benefit from other investments; they face significant barriers to their safety, education, shelter/housing, child care, and other services. A national survey shows the consequences of not targeting CARES dollars to children and youth experiencing homelessness. Please ensure that [INSERT YOUR CITY/STATE] children and youth experiencing homelessness receive the help they need to survive and thrive.”
Summary of American Rescue Plan (COVID-19 Package) Provisions on Education, Early Care, Housing, and Homelessness
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth and Foster Youth
- Lowers the age that youth from foster care and youth who are homeless can claim the EITC to age 18, and for all young adults, to age 19.
- Allows foster and homeless youth to claim the EITC even if they are full-time students and working (currently law prohibits full-time students from claiming EITC).
- For one year, increases the maximum credit for a childless claimant in 2021 to $1,502, and also increases the child tax credit.
- SchoolHouse Connection strongly supports these provisions and urges that they remain in any final legislation. By allowing homeless and foster youth to claim the EITC credit during the time they are transitioning to adulthood, the legislation helps to create parity with young adults of the same age who are fortunate enough to be receiving financial support from parents or caregivers.
K-12 Education
- $129 billion for K-12 education
- States are required to:
- Allocate at least 90% of funds to local educational agencies based on the Title I Part A formula
- Reserve at least 5% of funds for activities to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions, and ensure that these interventions meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and respond to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on specific student groups, including low-income students, students with disabilities, students who are English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, students who are in foster care.
- Submit a report six months after receiving funding, and every six months afterwards, that provides a detailed accounting of the use of funds provided under both the state and local reservations, including identifying the specific amounts and providing a description of the specific activities carried out under the reservations.
- Local educational agencies are required to:
- Reserve at least 20% of funds for activities to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions, and ensure that these interventions meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and respond to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on specific student groups, including low-income students, students with disabilities, students who are English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, students who are in foster care.
- Use remaining funds for any of a variety of activities, including activities to address the unique needs of students experiencing homelessness, mental health services, planning and implementing summer learning and after-school programs, and addressing learning loss, including by tracking attendance and improving student engagement.
Higher Education
- $40 billion for institutions of higher education
- institutions must use at least half of funds for emergency financial aid to prevent hunger, homelessness, hardship due to the pandemic..
Child Care
- $15 billion for child care through the Child Care Development Block Grant
- $24 billion in grants through the Child Care Stabilization Fund
- Note: Children experiencing homelessness under the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act must be prioritized for federally-funded child care.
Head Start
- $1 billion for the Head Start program.
- Note: Children experiencing homelessness under the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act must be prioritized for Head Start enrollment.
HUD Homeless Assistance
- $5 billion for Homeless Assistance Services provided through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program
- Funds may be used for tenant-based rental assistance, affordable housing development, supportive services for those not already receiving services, acquisition and rehabilitation/development of non-congregate shelters which may be used as shelter or converted to permanent affordable housing.
- Eligible persons include those who meet HUD’s definition of homelessness, persons who meet HUD’s definition of at-risk of homelessness, persons who are fleeing or attempting to flee situations of domestic abuse, trafficking, or stalking, and populations for whom supportive services would prevent the family’s homelessness or having a high risk of housing instability.
- Note: SchoolHouse Connection remains concerned with HUD’s regulations and documentation required to meet its definition of homelessness and “at-risk of homelessness,” and its historical lack of prioritization for families and youth who meet its definition of “at risk of homelessness.” Homeless families and youth who stay temporarily with others, or are in motels, continue to face barriers meeting HUD’s definitions, despite their vulnerability and high risk for COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Emergency Housing Choice Vouchers
- $5 billion for emergency housing choice vouchers
- Eligible persons include those who meet HUD’s definition of homelessness, persons who meet HUD’s definition of at-risk of homelessness, persons who are fleeing or attempting to flee situations of domestic abuse, trafficking, or stalking, and persons who are recently homeless, as determined by the Secretary, and for whom rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having a high risk of housing instability.
- Note: SchoolHouse Connection remains concerned with HUD’s regulations and documentation required to meet its definition of homelessness and “at-risk of homelessness,” and its historical lack of prioritization for families and youth who meet its definition of “at risk of homelessness.” Homeless families and youth who stay temporarily with others, or are in motels, continue to face barriers meeting HUD’s definitions, despite their vulnerability and high risk for COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Emergency Rental Assistance
- $20 billion in emergency rental assistance funded through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and administered by the Treasury Department.
(Last updated March 1, 2021)