On November 15, Congress released the final, compromise version of the fiscal year (FY) 2012 funding legislation, H.R. 2112, for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other related agencies.   Compared to FY 2011, the bill cuts $3.8 billion from HUD programs.  The legislation includes some good news and some not so good news, but given the magnitude of cuts facing many programs, those helping to prevent and end homelessness like McKinney-Vento were protected from cuts. The legislation includes:

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Recently the legislature made significant changes to Disability Lifeline (HB 2082) for FY 2011-2013.  It eliminated the current Disability Lifeline Program effective October 1, but preserved medical services for eligible clients.  In place of the old program, it created 3 new programs—the aged, blind and disabled program (similar to the current DL-X and is the only program to keep cash assistance grants), pregnant woman assistance program, and the Essential Needs and Housing Support program funded at $64 million and offered to those eligible for…

This post was written by guest blogger, Erin Milliren, an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Bridge to Basics program, a partnership between United Way of King County, Within Reach, the City of Seattle and Americorps 

Hi, my name is Erin Milliren. I am one of the four AmeriCorps service members who staff the Bridge to Basics outreach team. Based out of WithinReach in North Seattle, we travel all throughout King County. We visit food banks, public libraries, WorkSource offices and public service centers.…

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is the centerpiece of the federal government’s effort to help more than 1,200 cities, counties and states meet the needs of low and moderate income people. It provides flexible funding for a wide-range of activities including building and preserving affordable housing, providing services to the most vulnerable, public improvements projects, and economic development. In fiscal year 2010, $3.984 billion in federal CDBG money flowed into local communities – making a difference in the lives of millions of people…

United Way of King County is heading to Olympia on Thursday, February 10 as part of the United Ways of Washington Lobby Day.  Staff, business and community leaders will be meeting with King County legislators to encourage them to preserve funding for key programs that affect low-income families, children and adults throughout the state.   Lend your voice to our effort by calling or emailing the following message to your legislators:

 ”Food, housing and the ability to meet basic survival needs are what keep low income, vulnerable adults and children off the streets and productive…

Information excerpted from the November 4, 2010 Coalition on Human Needs newsletter.

On November 15, Congress returned for the lame duck session – a period after the election when many members have been voted out but before the new Congress is sworn in the following January. They plan to work for one week, take Thanksgiving week off, and return again the week of November 29 to address issues unresolved and requiring urgent action. Issues that are pending include: tax cuts and tax credits, the FY…

Did you know that there are over 2 million non-profits in the US today, generating more than $1 trillion and employing 1 in 10 US workers? Non-profits are a growth industry responsible for saving lives, providing basic services for vulnerable populations, protecting the environment and enriching our lives through the arts. Watch this dynamic fact-filled 4 minute video, Know Your Sector to learn more about non-profits and let us know what you think by commenting on our blog.

During the 2008-2009 school year 3,404 homeless students attended public schools in King County. Across the U.S. the number swelled to nearly 1 million, according to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth.   This doesn’t even include homeless preschoolers attending such programs as Head Start or Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program.

The good news is that homeless children and youth are finally getting a bit more attention. Two recent seattlepi.com articles highlighted what local school districts are doing…

Along with most states, Washington’s financial challenges are daunting. In the past two years, $5.1 billion of spending has been cut from the state budget and fiscal trends indicate that an additional $3 billion will have to be cut in the 2011-2013 biennial budget and another $8-9 billion the following biennium.

To get a handle on how to best approach the serious decisions that need to be made, the Governor has implemented several key changes to the budget planning process which was outlined at three…

Last Friday, nearly 60 people representing government, the public, educational institutions, nonprofits and business attended “Disability Lifeline: A Community Conversation” hosted by United Way of King County, State Representative Mary Lou Dickerson, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle City Council Member Tim Burgess. The meeting gave voice to the changes facing the old GA-U program (now called Disability Lifeline) and provided the community an opportunity to generate creative solutions to help ease the transition for people that will be dropped from the program due…