The Non-Defense Discretionary (NDD) United coalition released “Faces of Austerity 2.0: How Budget Cuts Continue to Make Us Sicker, Poorer, and Less Secure.” The report examines how Congressional cuts to education, housing, human services, justice, national resources, public health, and workforce programs hurt those in need, highlighting individuals’ personal stories. The ten personal stories showcase the need for NDD funding to help people attend college, fight addiction, prepare for emergencies, and more. The report’s release is part of the #RaisetheCaps campaign urging Congress to raise funding levels above the caps imposed by Congress in 2011. NLIHC is on the NDD steering committee and a sponsor of the report.
The report includes a story from Joseph Hill Coles, a community navigator for Youth Service, Inc., in Philadelphia, who describes experiencing youth homelessness and finding the support he needed at Project HOME, a federally funded housing program. He now helps other youth in the city connect to resources, including the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. Vouchers are proven to reduce homelessness and lift individuals and families out of poverty. The Trump administration’s budget proposed cutting funding for HCVs by more than $1 billion in FY18. Joseph also expresses frustration that limited funding prohibits his organization’s ability to expand and better support the homeless population of Philadelphia.
Read the report at: https://www.raisethecaps.org/