U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) is leading a bipartisan group of his House colleagues in salvaging a FY 2018 appropriations fix to prevent a lapse in funds for some of the nation’s Runaway and Homeless Youth programs.
Specifically, if a grant eligibility issue isn’t addressed by House and Senate appropriators in the final FY18 appropriations bill, then two federal grants supporting homeless and runaway youth face funding gaps in April 2018, “which will result in programs downgrading, discontinuing, or even closing permanently,” according to a Nov. 13 letter authored by Denham.
Specifically, if a grant eligibility issue isn’t addressed by House and Senate appropriators, then two federal grants supporting homeless and runaway youth face funding gaps in April 2018, “which will result in programs downgrading, discontinuing, or even closing permanently,” according to a Nov. 13 letter signed by Denham.
The letter, which was sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House appropriations committees, also was signed by Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), who joined Denham in spearheading the effort. A total of 78 members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, signed the letter.
Losing effective services would be a serious setback and ultimately increase the homeless youth population, Congressman Denham said earlier this week.
According to the letter, the affected grants are the Transitional Living Program (TLP) and Maternity Group Home (MGH) grants, which end in April 2018. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Family Youth Services Bureau recently notified grantees of the funding schedule, which essentially means they “are facing an extended gap in eligibility before they can reapply for a subsequent grant,” according to Denham’s letter.
“The House of Representatives unanimously approved an amendment to H.R. 3354, the fiscal year 2018 appropriations bill, to address the issue of bridge funding for TLP and MGH grants,” according to the letter. The letter goes to say now the lawmakers want to ensure this issue is fixed in the final FY 2018 appropriations bill when they reconcile the differences between the Senate and House appropriations bills.
Both the TLP and MGH grants are critical to helping runaway and homeless youth find employment, learn life skills, provide parental care and guidance, acquire and maintain affordable housing and ultimately return to their communities, according to the letter.
“Without these grants, communities nationwide will lose an important resource for responding to and preventing homelessness,” it notes.
In fact, Denham said youth homelessness is a major issue his constituents face in the Central Valley where shelters like the Center for Human Services in Modesto make a big difference. “We cannot afford to see them shut down because of a failure of Congress to act,” he said.
Cindy Duenas, executive director of Modesto’s Center for Human Services, commended Denham for his support.
“We serve the most vulnerable young people in our community, providing not only housing, but supports that allow them to become self-sufficient,” Duenas said. “Our federal funding is critical to our continued success.”