• Support the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act bill to reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) with amendments in support of LGBTQ youth, improved cultural competency, and better responses for sexually exploited minors. Include $119.2 million for RHYA programs in FY17 and $165 million in FY18. Federal investment in runaway and homeless youth programs has been level or declining for the last few years. Additionally, national data on the issue is hard to come by as Congress authorized a national prevalence study, but never appropriated the funds.
  • Secure $2,487 billion for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants (HAG) program for 2017 and $2.6 billion for 2018, including $40m for youth demonstration projects through the HAG Program. McKinney Vento Homeless Housing Assistance Grants fund shelter and housing programs throughout our community; demand exceeds capacity at all programs, and community prioritization often puts youth programs at the bottom of the list.
  • Pass the Homeless Children and Youth Act to change the HUD definition of homelessness. The HUD definition of homelessness makes it very difficult for couch-surfing and unstably housed youth to access housing resources.
  • Pass the Housing for Homeless Students Act to exempt homeless from being full-time students. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program provides a tax credit to those who construct or rehabilitate low-income housing. LIHTC does not allow tenants to be full-time students, with exceptions for former foster youth, single parents, and parents receiving public assistance. Many grants and scholarships require full-time attendance to be eligible; part-time students take longer to graduate, have higher cumulative tuition costs, and greater opportunity costs of attending school.
  • Maintain the federal appropriations to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). ORR places unaccompanied, undocumented minors in programs that help them stabilize and find permanent shelter, like YouthCare’s Casa de Los Amigos Program.
  • Secure $102.5 million for YouthBuild programs in FY2017 and FY2018.