NAHC board secretary, Linda Glass, Executive Director of CARES, Inc. testified in June before the Senate Banking Committee on legislation to consolidate the federal low income housing programs that respond to homelessness, important tools for AIDS housing providers.  NAHC joined witnesses including NAHC board member, Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta, Moises Loza of the Housing Assistance Council and others in supporting the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007 (S. 1518).  The measure co-sponsored by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Wayne Allard (R-CO), establishes a prevention and rehousing program, levels the playing field for rural communities by establishing a program under which the communities compete with each other rather urban areas for continuum of care dollars and, importantly,  shifts  supportive housing renewals to the housing certificate fund.  This shift will free up dollars typically devoted to renewals for the creation of permanent housing. 

One sticking point in reauthorization has been devising a definition of homelessness that realistically captures more of the people who are truly homeless than covered by the current HUD definition.  During the hearings, NAHC proffered a definition of homelessness, which includes "People who are temporarily staying with family or friends and who have stayed in at least three different households in the last year because they did not have the resources to rent a housing unit consistent with housing quality standards".  The NAHC definition was well received. The measure, originally slated for mark-up before the August recess, was pulled from the schedule because of objections by the minority to moving forward.  It is hoped that the mark-up can proceed in September.  Although no companion is currently pending in the House, it is anticipated Housing and Community Opportunity Chairperson Maxine Waters is crafting a measure. Click here to see NAHC's recommendation.

After nearly three years, NAHC Policy Associate, Emily Bonifaci departs for the graduate program in landscape architecture at Harvard University.   Emily's contributions to NAHC's growth are too numerous to recount.  She now turns her enthusiasm, energy and creativity to focus on the built community and how it responds to individual and community need. As we bid goodbye to Emily, NAHC welcomes a new Policy Assistant, Latoya Thomas.  Latoya, a recent Howard University grad, joins us from NAHC member, the National Alliance to End Homelessness.