New Campaign Brief on Housing, Energy and Food Insecurity
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The campaign published a new brief, “Housing Policy as Climate Policy: Confronting Thermal Inequity, Energy and Food Insecurity,” written by campaign intern Ella Izenour. The piece examines the intersections of housing, thermal safety, energy affordability, and food security. It expands the traditional “heat or eat” dilemma, a tradeoff in which households must choose between paying energy bills or buying food, showing how climate change is transforming it into a year-round challenge as hotter summers increase cooling demands.
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New Recovery, Mental Health, and Housing Fact Sheet
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The campaign released a new fact sheet describing the essential connection between access to affordable housing and recovery for individuals with substance use disorders and/or mental health conditions. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) designates a stable home as one of the four essential dimensions of recovery. Housing insecurity, on the other hand, is associated with declining mental health, increased risk of incarceration, and a significantly higher risk of opioid overdose. More affordable housing and investments in supportive housing models that place people in housing without requiring abstinence or treatment are necessary to promote long-term recovery from substance use disorders.
The fact sheet was developed with the help of campaign partners the Legal Action Center, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and The Kennedy Forum. In total, the campaign has posted 18 multi-sector fact sheets on its website. Each fact sheet compiles landmark research to help policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public understand the deep connections between housing and other national priorities, from healthcare to education to economic growth. |
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New Campaign Podcast Episode
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| The campaign released a new podcast episode, “Animal Welfare, Disaster Recovery, and Housing Justice.” The episode, hosted by Julie Walker, features a discussion with Meghan Mertyris, senior policy analyst at the National Low Income Housing Coalition; Christine Kim, executive director of My Dog is My Home (a campaign Roundtable member), and Shari Myers, disaster operations coordinator at The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. The guests discuss the intersection of housing, disaster recovery, and animal welfare. Analysis of this issue reveals that while short-term protections for survivors and their pets exist, long-term protections are limited.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple, and Soundcloud. |
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Out Now: National Network to End Domestic Violence 2026 Domestic Violence Counts Reports
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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), a campaign Steering Committee member, published its 20th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, which summarizes data collected during the NNEDV’s Domestic Violence Counts Survey. The survey is a one-day, unduplicated count of adults and children seeking domestic violence services in the United States. Data were collected from 1,707 programs, representing 85% of identified domestic violence programs nationwide. During the 24-hour data collection period, participating programs served 84,146 victims but were unable to meet 13,018 requests for help. The report identifies a lack of affordable housing and insufficient funding for emergency shelters as major barriers to recovery for survivors of domestic violence.
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Take Action: Oppose HUD’s Work Requirements and Time Limits Rule
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| Join housing and anti-poverty organizations in showing unified opposition to HUD’s proposed rule that would cut funding for rental assistance programs through work reporting requirements and time limits!
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a rule that would expand work requirements and term limits in federal rental assistance programs. Evidence from SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF make the ineffectiveness of these policies clear: neither will increase assisted households’ income enough to afford basic needs without help. Should this rule become finalized, millions of families will forego meals or doctor’s visits to pay for rent, and, in the worst cases, face eviction and homelessness.
Under the proposed rule, public housing authorities and some landlords could:
- Require “work-eligible” adults to engage in work activities for up to 40 hours per week. The rule defines “work-eligible” as any household with a family member between the ages of 18 and 61, barring some exempted populations.
- Establish term limits of no less than two years for non-disabled, non-elderly families. After receiving federal rental assistance for two or more years, families subject to the term limit would lose their subsidy and be forced to reapply, even if they are still income-eligible.
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Take action to oppose work requirements and time limits proposed rule:
- Sign onto CLASP’s comment for anti-poverty organizations that urges HUD to withdraw the rule by tomorrow, April 30.
- Submit a unique comment in opposition using the CLASP template comments and resources linked here. The comment deadline is this Friday, May 1!
- Use NLIHC’s comment template to draft a comment that reflects your perspective.
- Join NLIHC’s sign-on letter (for organizations) by tomorrow, April 30 at 11:59 pm ET: https://nlihc.quorum.us/campaign/161309/
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From the Field: New Podcast Episode From Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness
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| Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MCAH), a campaign State Partner, shared a new Unhoused & Unfiltered podcast episode, “From Support to Surveillance: The Expanding Role of Veteran Guardianship in Homelessness Response System,” that unpacks a controversial new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The agreement allows VA attorneys to initiate and participate in guardianship or conservatorship proceedings in state courts against veterans. The episode features a discussion about what the MOU signals for the future of homelessness policy, particularly for veterans.
Nick Cook, MCAH’s Director of Public Policy and a former Army Major, draws from his 13 years of active duty experience to share his perspective on how this will impact veterans. Sarah Rennie, JD, MCAH’s Senior Director of Advocacy and Engagement, outlines the legal implications of the agreement. |
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| Are you a part of a national organization interested in cross-sector partnership? Join representatives from over 130 multi-sector organizations, including housing, education, healthcare, civil rights, anti-poverty, seniors, faith-based, anti-hunger, veterans, LGBTQIA+, and more on the campaign’s Roundtable. If you are interested in the Roundtable, please fill out our interest form and and feel free to share it with other national organizations that may want to get involved. |
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Fact of the Month: Time limits and work requirements put nearly 3.7 million people at risk of losing needed rental assistance.
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