June 2021
Bring America Home NOW! Click here for more about the campaign and to register for Thursday's kick-off.
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We are spearheading the launch of Bring America Home Now: A Comprehensive Grassroots Campaign to End Homelessness in the U.S. Led by people who have themselves experienced homelessness, we will focus on the passage of federal legislation aimed at addressing the interconnected solutions to the decades-long epidemic of homelessness in the United States.
The campaign focuses on 5 major policy areas:
- Housing is a basic human right that should be available to all Americans.
- Health and homelessness are inextricably linked: a safe, stable home is the prerequisite of health and well-being.
- Employment provides not only income, but also meaning and connection. Livable incomes are essential to prevent and homelessness. For those unable to work, adequate public benefits are necessary to ensure stability in housing.
- Education and training can play a critical role for many--children, youth, and adults-- in equipping people with the knowledge and skills needed for economic mobility.
- Homelessness is a civil rights issue. People experiencing homelessness are too often victim of hate crimes. Homelessness disproportionately impacts people of color. And LGBTQ people/individuals face discrimination and barriers around to
accessing jobs and housing.
Please join the official launch of the campaign, Thursday, June 17, 3-4:30pm EST. Hear from people who have been unhoused, national advocates, and federal legislators. Click below to register.
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Livable Incomes, and other ways to fix unemployment
Has the Federal Emergency Unemployment Insurance contributed to vacant jobs being unfulfilled? Depending upon who you talk to, the response will be different. One thing we do know, unemployment benefits are temporary and does not provide long term stability compared to employment. Millions of jobs are left unfilled, and here are a few reasons why:
- Unsafe working conditions – employees fear returning to work due to safety requirements. Employees have experienced demotions and terminations due to risking exposure of the coronavirus, and unfair treatment. The Coronavirus Is Causing More Employment Lawsuits (forbes.com)
- Lack of affordable child care – employees that have been terminated or caring for a child because of school closure may not be able to afford child care. COVID-19 making it even harder for working parents to find child care (usatoday.com)
- Career employment changes – the pandemic has shaped individual career choices as some have chosen to start businesses with stimulus checks, return to school, and not choose occupations that reduce quality of life. The future of work after COVID-19 | McKinsey
Read more or contact your governor not to end federal unemployment benefits early.
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Emergency Broadband Benefit
We are excited about the Emergency Broadband Benefit program (EBB) — a new government program that is temporarily providing discounts on internet bills for those who need it most during this pandemic.
The EBB offers up to $50 in discounts ($75 for those living on tribal lands), every month to eligible families and individuals so that cost is no longer a barrier to accessing the internet at home for families struggling to recover economically.
In addition, a one-time discount of up to $100 is available to eligible households for the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet when it is purchased from an Internet Service Provider (ISP) (a company who provides access to the internet as a service, such as Verizon or Comcast), and the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.
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Child Tax Credit - Upcoming monthly payments
Originally structured as the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, a $400 credit was introduced for each child under age 17. This law has been amended several times over the years, including an increase to a maximum benefit of $2,000 per child in 2017. This increase is due to expire at the end of 2025.
Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the amount of the child tax credit for 2021 is $3,600 for children 6 years of age and below and $3,000 for kids aged 7-17. The benefits will be paid in monthly installments of $300 and $250 respectively. The credits established are per child and replaces the previous payment method of having to wait until tax time to receive the credit.
This is an improvement that will have ripple effects in reducing childhood poverty. We call on Congress to make these recent increases in the Childhood Tax Credit permanent!
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Emergency Housing Vouchers
The American Rescue Plan included a fantastic $5 billion in Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHV)! Here are some resources to learn more:
- An overview from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
- A detailed presentation from HUD on how communities can access and distribute the vouchers.
- HUD's further resource page on the Emergency Housing Voucher program.
National Coalition for the Homeless, 2201 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
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