Congress negotiates FY 2014 spending level – ACT NOW!

WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 13, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — This week, the conference committee tasked with coming up with a topline spending number for FY 2014 reached a deal. They’ve come up with a deal that would set FY 2014 total spending at around $1 trillion – somewhere in the middle of the House and Senate’s proposed spending levels (though unfortunately closer to the House’s lower spending level).

Now that appropriators in the House and Senate have a number with which to work, they will be moving fast to finalize FY 2014 spending bills. Since there’s a new number, the appropriators will have to write new bills – including a new HUD funding bill with spending levels that fall somewhere in between those in the bills initially proposed by the House ($2.088 billion for McKinney) and the Senate ($2.26 billion for McKinney).

With the holidays coming up, it is crunch time to make sure that every Member knows the importance of HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants in their communities as they work on these bills.

Here’s What You Can Do:

1.      Call your senators and representative(s) THIS WEEK! Ask to speak to the person who handles housing issues.

a.     You can reach your Members’ offices using the congressional switchboard at 202.224.3121.

2.     Tell them that the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants need an INCREASE in FY 2014.

a.     You can use THESE TALKING POINTS to help you make your case.

After many ups and downs in this funding process, it seems as though Congress has finally reached an agreement with which they can move forward in determining FY 2014 spending levels. While both chambers still need to approve the compromise, it is likely that they will do so. NOW is our opportunity to capitalize on “regular order” and make another big push for McKinney funding.
We know that the NOFA cuts will be very difficult for many communities and this is an opportunity to tell Congress NEVER AGAIN! We need to make sure that they work to make up for the FY 2013 cuts and ensure that we continue our great progress preventing and ending homelessness in America.

More Information:

The deal struck by the conference committee includes numerous components. The agreement would ease sequestration cuts by approximately $63 billion in FY 2014 and FY 2015. This would be paid for through increases in various fees, including airline fees, raising contributions federal employees make to their retirement plans, and increasing premiums for a variety of pensions, among an assortment of other smaller savings provisions. The easing in sequestration cuts will likely result in more funding for HUD in the upcoming years.

Congress is very likely to finalize FY 2014 spending by the January 15 deadline and we need to make sure that as many Members as possible know they must provide an INCREASE to HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants.