In America, when we think of homeless people, we think of a man in tattered clothes, maybe with a sign, standing on a street corner or slumped beside a building. We think of shopping carts and dirty faces, people who sleep under overpasses. The reality is, there isn’t one stock image of a homeless person, one template that they all follow. These caricatures allow the general American public to feel that homelessness is not their problem, or not a worry they might ever face.
Archives: Voices
Coming to America: The Story of Rosalie
Rosalie was born and raised in a shantytown in the Philippines. From a young age she had her eyes set on attending nursing school, something that would equip her with the skills to escape poverty. Beating the odds, she struggled through nursing school, working her way through jobs in the Middle East. Eventually a Texas hospital would fulfill her dreams with a job offer in the United States. Rosalie’s story is documented in the recently published book A Good Provider is One Who Leaves: One Family and Migration in the 21st Century, written by Jason DeParle.
Nov. 6 Call-in Day: Tell Your Senators to Support Improving Low-Income Tax Credits
Right now, Congress is looking to add bipartisan tax legislation to the end-of-year budget package. It is imperative that if there is any tax legislation helping businesses and the rich that we also do what we can to help low-wage workers. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) help working families and individuals better provide for basic needs. On November 6th please call: 1-888-678-9475. Tell your senators: Any tax package that passes this year must include improvements to the low-income tax credits — the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.
The latest CHN Human Needs Report: Spending updates, “public charge” rule blocked, Trump steps up attacks on food aid, and more
CHN just released another edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for the latest on Congress’s work on spending bills, court rulings on President Trump’s “Public Charge” proposal, the Trump Administration’s escalation of attacks on nutrition assistance, and more.
With time running out, former Census Bureau Directors issue bipartisan call for full funding
Seven former Census Directors have penned a letter to House and Senate leaders as well as members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees urging that Congress enact the 2020 Census appropriation as soon as possible. The seven former Directors, representing both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations, warn that failure to act could result in disruptions in the preparation for, launching, and implementation of peak 2020 Census operations.
Protecting immigrant children: the last acts of a hero and civil rights icon
Hours before he died last week, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) performed what might have been his final official act while in office. According to CNN, aides to Cummings drove from the U.S. Capitol to Baltimore so that he could sign two subpoenas related to an investigation into the Trump Administration’s policy on whether seriously ill immigrants, including immigrant children, may remain in the U.S. for medical treatment.
“Chairman Cummings felt so strongly about the children, that he was going to fight until the end,” an aide explained.
“Arbitrary and Capricious:” How – and Why – Courts are Defending Human Needs Programs Against Trump’s Relentless Attacks
It has happened more than a dozen times, and that could be a quite conservative estimate: in federal courthouse after federal courthouse, in all regions of the country, judges have ruled the Trump Administration’s actions to be “arbitrary and capricious.” At Voices for Human Needs, we wondered: why do those words keep coming up? What is the Trump Administration’s track record in the courtroom? And what does this mean for advocates of a human needs agenda?
Friday deadline: Act now to oppose HUD rule that would harm low-income and other vulnerable Americans
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently proposed a rule that would gut a long-standing civil rights protection called “disparate impact theory” under the Fair Housing Act that has offered recourse for countless people experiencing housing discrimination and segregation. On Thursday, CHN submitted comments strongly opposing the rule and calling on HUD to withdraw it. You can see CHN’s comments here.
Chairwoman Lowey, a Human Needs Champion, Deserves Our Thanks
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced last week that she will not be running for reelection in 2020. Those of us who care about meeting human needs owe her a debt of gratitude for her support for essential services.
Victories abound for human needs advocates, CHN allies
Last week we reported the good news: in two different cases, advocates defeated the Trump Administration in U.S. District Court. The first decision involved the Administration’s proposed Public Charge rule, which would deny green cards or visas to immigrants if they have used certain government aid programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, or housing assistance. The second decision dealt with the Administration’s emergency declaration to spend government funds on border wall construction that Congress had refused to authorize – a federal judge ruled the Administration was out of bounds. As it turns out, those two rulings were just a part of a dizzying amount of jurisprudence that has taken place lately, including several cases that involve CHN member groups and allies. Here’s a rundown of what you may have missed.
Score Two Wins for the Rule of Law
For those who care about meeting human needs, two key court rulings were handed down Friday afternoon. First. the Trump Administration’s attempt to implement its Public Charge rule on October 15 has been blocked by a nationwide preliminary injunction. And second, a U.S. District Court in Texas blocked Trump’s border wall funding.
Why, yes – it is a Muslim ban
United by their shared desperation, they gather to tell their stories. An older woman without any other family discusses waiting for her sister. A couple, only recently reunited after two years, share their struggle. A VA doctor in Iowa – an American citizen – barely chokes out a few sentences about his wife, who is stuck in Iran, before his grief reduces him to tears. Their stories are striking and eerily similar. On Sept. 24, these migrants came before two congressional subcommittees to testify about the injustice they have experienced due to President Trump’s immigration policies.