Members of Congress are back in their home states and districts for August recess and will not return to their D.C. offices until September. With members in town to campaign and speak with constituents, August recess is an ideal time for advocates to take action on affordable housing and homelessness by scheduling in-district meetings with members to share with them the impact of federal funding on the communities they serve.
To support these efforts, NLIHC released an updated Congressional Recess Toolkit providing advocates with ideas, advice, and tips on how to set up in-district meetings, along with talking points, sample op-eds, sample social media messages, and more. Advocacy over August recess will be crucial in setting the stage for negotiations concerning the federal budget when Congress returns to session in September.
Background
Members adjourned for recess on July 27 after months of contentious budget negotiations that culminated in vastly different spending proposals from the House and Senate. While the Senate Committee on Appropriations, under the leadership of Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Vice-Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), proposed bills with bipartisan support that funded programs at levels agreed upon in the “Fiscal Responsibility Act,” the process in the House has been more chaotic. Far-right members of the House Freedom Caucus are demanding steeper cuts to the already austere funding levels proposed for fiscal year (FY) 24 spending, a proposition that is drawing fire from Democrats and some moderate Republicans in the chamber and that would not pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
The discrepancies between the House and Senate appropriations bills set the stage for what will likely be a tumultuous September on Capitol Hill. Congress has only until September 30 – the start of the new federal fiscal year – to enact all 12 appropriations bills or pass a continuing resolution (CR) in order to keep the federal government funded and avoid a shutdown. Given the differences between the House and Senate FY24 spending bills, as well as the fact that far-right members of the House are already refusing to vote for a clean CR that does not cut federal spending, members are raising alarms about the likelihood of a government shutdown on October 1.
While advocates across the country have done tremendous work to ensure that neither the House nor Senate FY24 spending bills drastically cut funding for vital HUD programs, including rental assistance and Homeless Assistance Grants, the road to enacting a final FY24 spending bill with sufficient HUD funding is steep. With members of Congress back in their home states and districts, August recess is the perfect time for advocates to set up in-district meetings with their members to stress the impact and importance of increased HUD funding in any final appropriations bill.
Take Action!
Thanks to the hard work of advocates across the country, who mobilized to weigh in with their elected officials, HUD’s vital rental assistance, homelessness assistance, and tribal housing programs were spared from cuts in both the House and Senate bills. Yet there is still work to be done to ensure these funding levels remain in a final bill and that other critical programs, such as Public Housing, are also fully funded.
Keep making your voice heard, and tell Congress that it cannot balance the federal budget at the expense of people with the lowest incomes! Advocates can take action TODAY in the following ways:
- Contact your senators and representatives to urge them to expand – not cut – investments in affordable, accessible homes through the FY24 spending bill!
- August recess is the perfect time for advocates to schedule in-district meetings with their members of Congress to urge them to support higher funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Check out NLIHC’s updated Congressional Recess Toolkit for information on how to set up in-district meetings, meeting tips, talking points, and more!
- Join over 2,000 organizations by signing on to a national letter from the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF), calling on Congress to oppose budget cuts and instead to support the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY24.
Support NLIHC’s Work by Becoming a Member!
One way to support NLIHC’s work is by becoming an NLIHC member. NLIHC membership is open to individuals, organizations, corporations, and government agencies, and annual membership dues are suggested amounts, meaning you can join at any amount that works for you.
You can join easily online at nlihc.org/membership or contact [email protected] with any questions.