Recently, local Congressional members proposed increasing support for two key programs that support thousands of Pennsylvania's children and youth experiencing homelessness. A bipartisan "Dear Colleague" letter was circulated in the U.S. House of Representatives, calling for $800 million for the McKinney-Vento Act's Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program and $300 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) program in the FY2024 budget.

The EHCY and RHYA programs have been underfunded for several years, but the American Rescue Plan delivered increases to these programs, thanks to bipartisan support that seized on the opportunity to expand services. As a result, Pennsylvania received a one-time allocation of $32 million to serve over 30,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness, compared to the usual budget of less than $6 million. This increase helped 8,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia.
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We are happy to report that Congresspersons Dwight Evans (Philadelphia), Mary Jo Scanlon (Delaware), Susan Wild (Lehigh), and Brendan Boyle (Philadelphia) have signed onto the letter. The next step is for the House Appropriations Committee to decide whether to support this effort. We are reaching out to PA-based Appropriations Committee members Guy Renschenthaler (14th District, SW Pennsylvania) and Matt Cartwright (8th District, NW Pennsylvania), and we ask advocates in those regions to contact their representatives.

The Family Service Provider Network, brought to you by HopePHL, has developed a list of recommendations for consideration by the candidates for Mayor of Philadelphia. For more information about the Family Service Provider Network, email ​policy@hopephl.org