This week, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) introduced the Housing Navigators Act to create a new program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) to provide direct housing counseling for renters and people experiencing homelessness to connect with critical services and housing placement opportunities.
“California is experiencing a homelessness crisis and we need to ensure that people have the resources and support they need to navigate the complex housing system and find long-term housing,” said Schiff. “The Housing Navigators Act will help reduce the burden on people experiencing homelessness who are struggling to find affordable, stable housing. We must support, promote, and expand strategies that help individuals and families find housing and remain housed.”
“Escaping homelessness is incredibly challenging – and that’s partly because those experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness often don’t know where to turn for support and resources,”said Jacobs. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead the Housing Navigators Act to help individuals and families navigate the complicated housing system and secure transitional or permanent housing that meets their needs. San Diego County’s homeless population grew 22% last year and has the largest population of veterans experiencing homelessness in the country – and this legislation would help them and millions of others across the country get off the streets, out of their cars, or away from doubling-up and into housing that’s safe and affordable.”
OCH’s current Housing Counseling Program primarily assists homeowners in need of help with issues such as financing a home, undergoing home repairs, and securing foreclosure assistance.
The Housing Navigators Act would fund a Housing Navigator Program specifically to assist people experiencing homelessness and people at risk of homelessness. The Housing Navigator Program would provide funding to states, local governments, and housing nonprofits to assist people and families with navigating homelessness services, securing transitional housing and permanent housing placements, and assistance with completing applications for housing assistance programs. The Housing Navigators Act would provide an additional $50 million to HUD’s Office of Housing Counseling to support the work of housing counseling agencies and hire additional staff working to end the nation’s homelessness crisis. It would increase the capacity for housing casework and eliminate barriers faced by unhoused individuals and low-income tenants.
The legislation is endorsed by Acenscia, Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), LeadingAge, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, National Housing Law Project (NHLP), National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, National Leased Housing Association, and U.S.VETS.
It is cosponsored by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington, DC).
The full bill text can be found here.
Wow. He’s involved with something that doesn’t involve a Russian hoax….amazing.
UNITE HERE is touting the fact that West Hollywood’s highest minimum wage will enable people to obtain housing near where they live. Really? As the stores, restaurants and services that presumably would be supplying the employment are vanishing fast. West Hollywood City Council was evidently not aware of this possibility.
I see lots of stores and new restaurants opening! I’m sure they’re hiring.
Unfortunately the life of businesses, stores and restaurants, new and old in West Hollywood is dubious. It is not a nurturing climate.
This legislation is badly needed and long over due. HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8) has been widely successful at providing long term safe housing for low income individuals and families, including many of West Hollywood’s senior residents living on low fixed-incomes; but its success relies on the willingness of landlords actually accepting the vouchers which in part depends on three factors: low value of the voucher; length of time to process movie-ins & inspections; and general misguided views about the program or its participants. All of these could easily be addressed if we had federal housing navigators to… Read more »
What’s with all the Monkeypox ad’s????
Schiff is a national disgrace.
Yeah, compared to who, the joke of a Speaker Kevin McCarthy? How many votes did it take to get there again? Or the people who held out putting him there like Gaetz and Boebert? Save it.
If they just fixed the section 8 housing program that would solve a lot of this problem but they don’t want to apparently. Force more landlords to accept section 8 vouchers and address the ridiculously long wait time for people to be accepted in the program.
Money doesn’t solve this problem. The must be forced into substance abuse programs and given temporary housing in exchange for work.
Do the exact opposite of what SF is doing.
Agreed. The individuals not wracked by substance abuse are treading water, Housing in exchange for work seems a productive way forward giving them an increasing sense of accomplishment and self respect.
We don’t have the housing to offer them and while someday yes they should get jobs, today priority one needs to be getting them into safe housing and to do that we need create new housing AND get the support from the Feds this bill would create to help increase the utilization of the federal housing vouchers – a widely successful housing program when landlords actually accept the vouchers.
More money being thrown away on this bottomless pit. How many different ways can you inform homeless on programs? Very fitting on the day the numbers are released.