Action Alert 1: Disaster Relief Funding
While they provided funding for disaster relief last year, Congress hasn’t included HUD’s Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP) in their disaster relief bill. DHAP helps to move families from TSA hotels into affordable, accessible apartments after disasters. DHAP-approved apartments are required to meet the same safe housing standards as those utilized by HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program. Without DHAP, disaster survivors might have to return to their uninhabitable homes, risking their health and safety, because they have no other options.
Fortunately, a new bill is now being drafted to provide disaster relief funds, and we have a chance to include DHAP. We’re asking you to call your senators and demand that new disaster bill add legislative language directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enter into an interagency agreement with HUD to include DHAP in the new bill. We expect the bill language to be finalized by the end of January.
For questions about how to contact your senators, email sarah@nshhcoalition.org.
Read the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) recommendations for Congress here and the September recommendation letter to Congress here.
Many thanks to NLIHC and the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition Policy Working Group, who lead this charge.
Action Alert 2: FY18 Appropriations
In December 2016, Congress passed the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN). The act contained numerous measures to address lead in water and prevent childhood lead poisoning, including three grant programs that were authorized but never appropriated. These grants would help water systems, small communities, and schools find and remove lead from their drinking water.
One year later, we have the chance to include funding for these grants in Fiscal Year 2018 appropriations. If your members of Congress are on the House or Senate appropriations committee, call and request full funding for the Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities Grants ($60 million), the Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grants ($60 million) and the Lead Testing in School and Child Care Program Drinking Water Grants ($20 million), as well as the rest of NCHH's FY18 Healthy Housing appropriation asks.
Get Your State Healthy Housing Profile
The National Center for Healthy Housing is proud to present brand new fact sheets for each of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and a sheet for the U.S. as a whole. Each sheet contains a list of healthy housing statistics tailored for the state, including lead poisoning screenings, asthma prevalence rates, radon levels, carbon monoxide deaths, and falls among older adults. Every fact is hyperlinked to a resource providing more information. The sheets also list federal programs currently funding work in each state.
The fact sheets are ideal tool for educating members of Congress and other elected officials about healthy housing issues in your state. Email sarah@nshhcoalition.org if you'd like more information about how we can help you conduct congressional outreach.
Meet Your Member of Congress
Meeting with policy makers is a vital way both to share stories and information and to represent the diversity of interests that make up the healthy housing community.
Use our guide to holding meetings and events with members of Congress, including materials needed to get your meeting request process started.
Good luck with your outreach efforts, and don't forget to share any pictures on social media so that we can link to you!
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