POLICY MATTERS
A monthly update on policy issues in the fight against homelessness in NYC.
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Calling on Washington to Fund Community Health Centers
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The biggest share of federal funding for Community Health Centers, like Care for the Homeless, expired with the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, 2017 – that’s 124 days ago. Of course, we weren’t alone: at the same time funding for CHIP (Childrens’ Health Insurance Program), the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and the Teaching Health Centers Graduate Medical Education program (THCCME) all expired. When authorization for federal funding through these programs expires that is sometimes referred to as “going over the fiscal cliff.”
Read more here.
Community Health Centers across America serve our most vulnerable populations. We provide access to many people who might otherwise not get regular access to healthcare. We are the best tool in the fight to decrease and eliminate health disparities based on income and wealth. We’re the front line in fighting the opioid crisis.
Read more here.
If that convinces you that restoring the Community Health Center Fund is both the right thing and the economical thing to do, it’s not surprising. For over 50 years, community health centers have enjoyed widely bipartisan support in both the U.S. House and Senate. Restoring the fund still does have widespread bipartisan support. We’re confident that if we can get a vote on extending the Community Health Center Fund it will overwhelmingly pass.
That’s where all of us come in. Now, today if you can, your voice is needed with this very specific message: We Need to Extend the Community Health Center Fund next week in whatever measure Congress passes to keep the government open – just like they extended CHIP in the last Continuing Resolution two weeks ago. That will only happen if enough people convince their representatives in Congress to push their leadership to do it. The vote is likely to come next Wednesday, so you must call your representatives
today
to make a difference.
One of the best ways to contact your Member of the House and Senate is by using the National Association of Community Health Centers call in action line at
866-456-3949
. If you don’t know who your Congressperson or Senator is, they can tell you, and connect to their office. They can provide you with information, or answer questions you may have. But we need you to make that call today to make a difference.
Care for the Homeless will be represented next Tuesday at the community health center advocacy rally in Washington trying to get Congress to act. Your call, today, is even more important.
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Learn to Advocate Against Homelessness
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On Monday, February 5th, as part of CFH’s First Monday Policy Briefing series, CFH Policy Associate Nathalie Interiano and CFH Client Advocate Mike Austin will discuss “How to Talk About Homelessness.” It’s a discussion and training on how to better frame and message our advocacy positions for more favorable outcomes.
Care for the Homeless and our allies are passionate about the issues that affect homeless or unstably housed people, and other people living in deep poverty. Though advocates have a comprehensive understanding of the systemic causes of homelessness - lack of access to housing and healthcare, or discrimination - and statistics and studies to support those conclusions. Our messaging is not always successful in winning supporters over or moving public opinion or media attention.
Advocates can be more successful when we frame our issues to appeal to people’s deeply held values – values like equality, opportunity and the idea that everyone deserves a fair chance to achieve his or her full potential. The current discourse revolves around two competing narratives - individual responsibility vs collective responsibility, each with its own set of values. The individual responsibility narrative prevents people from seeing the systemic causes of homelessness. The goal is to tell real stories that highlight systemic problems and provide policy solutions, connecting the dots between individual experiences and big picture solutions. Research shows people are more willing to consider unfamiliar or conflicting ideas if they are framed by shared values like fairness, equality, and community. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to frame homelessness and other deep poverty issues as human rights.
You can RSVP here.
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Racism Causes Homelessness
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February is Black History Month, and an appropriate time to think about how much racism and discrimination affects poverty and homelessness.
More than 40% of people experiencing homelessness in shelters across the United States are black, though black people are less than 13% of the U.S. population. A U.S. Census Bureau study finds, even after controlling for poverty, people of color are far more likely than whites to experience homelessness and stay homeless for longer periods of time. A University of Pennsylvania study concludes that black children under 5 years old are 29 times more likely to end up in shelters in New York City than white children.
Read more here.
These figures are not random. They are statistically significant outcomes driven by systemic and systematic discrimination. Especially in housing, that ongoing systematic racial discrimination didn’t end with slavery in the 1860s, nor with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. In fact, it continues today. For example, a recent study in New York City shows that there is widespread illegal discrimination against accepting some legal forms of income to pay rent for very low-income people, including discrimination against use of governmental rental subsidies and other government assistance. But even in that study, the discrimination against people of color (or people perceived to be of color) was far greater.
Read more here.
We haven’t done nearly enough to combat racism and the disparities it visits on its victims. We must recognize the impact of racism and discrimination – call it what it is – and work to end it now.
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The Busy Advocate's February Calendar
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February is Black History Month.
Mon., Feb. 5th, 5:30 p.m., CFH “First Monday” Policy Briefing on
How to Talk About Homelessness
, CFH Conference Room, 30 E. 33rd Street, Fifth Floor, Manhattan, NY.
You can RSVP here.
Tue., Feb. 6th, Red Alert for Health Care Centers, Hundreds of advocates will be in D.C. meeting with Congress and demanding
they extend funding for Community Health Centers -
which expired on September 30, 2017. The National Association of Community Health Centers is calling on all Health Center Advocates to wear red to show support.
Find more information here.
Wed., Feb. 28th, 12:30 p.m., CAB Client Leader Meeting, CFH Conference Room, 30 E. 33rd Street, Fifth Floor, Manhattan, NY.
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A monthly update on policy issues in the fight against homelessness in NYC.
Thank you for your generous support of our mission.
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