Our Path Forward: Advocates nationwide join in CHN’s webinar on how to protect people despite threats from the new Administration and Congress
January 15, 2025
CHN’s COVID-19 Watch: Tracking Hardship September 10, 2021
CHN Staff,
September 10, 2021
The (mostly) back-to-school edition. Millions of kids are back in school – some for the first time in 18 months. Polling shows parents are happy about this – but also favor safety measures such as mask mandates. Although experts broadly agree students should be in school as opposed to learning virtually, there is much cause for concern. Kids now account for more than one in four COVID-19 cases nationwide. In just the past week, 1,400 schools had to close and go to virtual learning due to COVID-19 outbreaks. In Texas alone, 50,000 K-12 students have tested positive. And 13 employees of Miami-Dade County schools have died.
A Matter of Equity: The Expanded Child Tax Credit
David Elliot,
September 9, 2021
Next week,, the House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to mark up legislation relating to the newly expanded Child Tax Credit, an important step toward making the CTC permanent and available beyond this year to almost all families with children. Making the CTC permanent, including children of immigrant families among its recipients, and making it fully refundable – meaning the lowest-income families would receive the same benefit as everyone else – are keys to lifting low-income families out of poverty as well as battling systemic racism in America.
COVID-19 already made America’s housing crisis worse. And then the Supreme Court intervened and Ida happened.
David Elliot,
September 1, 2021
Even before the pandemic hit, America faced a housing crisis, with high rates of homelessness, and, in a typical year, one million evictions processed through the courts. Then COVID-19 wrecked the economy, causing massive job loss beginning in March and April 2020 – some 6.5 million renter households fell behind in rent as families struggled. Now, within a 72-hour period last week, many of these same families faced a double whammy.
CHN’s Podcast Episode 4: Housing is Health Care, and Finding the Political Will to End Homelessness
Abigail Alpern Fisch,
August 31, 2021
Listeners will hear from two members of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council: Dr. Courtney Plasden from Portland, Maine, the council’s clinical director, and Art Rios Sr., the Chair of the National Health Care Consumer Advisory Board based out of Portland, Oregon. In addition, we are joined by Steve Berg, the Vice President of Policy and Programs at the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington D.C. Steve shares how advocates at the grassroots and federal levels must continue to push forward policies during the budget reconciliation process and economic recovery legislation that could make a real difference in the lives of those at risk of, or facing, homelessness. All three speakers encourage listeners to contact their elected officials during the budget process to let them know that investing in programs and policies to combat homelessness is an issue of importance to their constituents.
Next Week’s Podcast Reiterates Housing Is Health Care. Meanwhile, Supreme Court Ruling Puts Millions At Risk for Eviction.
Abigail Alpern Fisch,
August 27, 2021
Stay tuned for our upcoming episode of the Voices for Human Needs podcast, launching next week! In this episode, co-hosts Abigail Alpern Fisch and Leo Nguen will discuss issues of housing, health care, and policy to address the challenges for those experiencing poverty and facing homelessness. You will hear from two members of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council: Dr. Courtney Plasden from Portland, Maine, the council’s clinical director, and Art Rios Sr., the Chair of the National Health Care Consumer Advisory Board based out of Portland, Oregon. Courtney and Art share how their lived experiences with homelessness influence their ongoing work providing direct services to homeless populations both before, and during, the COVID-19 pandemic.
