We Still Need You: Tell Congress What Your Community Needs

Thank you for your remarkable levels of advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of you, Congress is beginning to understand that homelessness funding must be included in upcoming coronavirus spending bills.  Negotiations are ongoing, but we know that your advocacy has already made a difference: There is a growing consensus to include funding specifically for homeless assistance, although not on the precise amount. Some investment in Tenant-Based Rental Assistance is on the table. There is ongoing discussion of significant investments in rent assistance to prevent housing instability and homelessness. There is, however, no final agreement, and it remains uncertain whether sufficient resources for these purposes will be included. TAKE ACTION NOW  We can prove to Congress why this funding is imperative: a recent report from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, and Boston University projects that people experiencing homelessness will be twice as likely to be hospitalized, two to four times as likely to require critical care, and two to three times as likely to die than the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers also estimate that costs for appropriate shelter and quarantine space for people experiencing homelessness would total around $11.5 billion in this year alone.   Lives are at stake. That's why we're reaching out again. There is still time to convince Congress to make the critical investments so that people experiencing homelessness don't suffer needlessly during the coronavirus pandemic.   Even if you've already taken action, we ask you to be persistent and continue raising your voice on behalf of the people and their communities that need these resources. Tell your Members of Congress to include $5 billion for homelessness, $5 billion for people at immediate risk of becoming homeless, and $50 billion to support housing stability in upcoming coronavirus response bills.   We need your voice. Please take action now.   Sincerely, Steve Berg VP for Programs and Policy National Alliance to End Homelessness