From DC is Justice in Getting older’s weekly roundup of nationwide information and sources about points impacting older adults. To obtain From DC in your inbox as quickly as its printed, join our mailing record.
Right here’s what we’re watching in Washington:
Take Motion to Defend HUD
Monday, March 10 will likely be a day of motion to guard the U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth (HUD) and its applications.
The Trump Administration is planning to terminate at the very least 50% of HUD workers, with most of the steepest cuts in places of work that advance honest housing and oversee housing and homeless help.
HUD’s federal rental help applications, equivalent to Housing Alternative (“Part 8”) Vouchers, serve over two million low-income older adults. Mass terminations at HUD would endanger crucial applications and result in extra evictions and homelessness throughout the nation.
Discover how federal housing applications assist your state and take part in Monday’s day of motion by contacting your members of Congress. Organizations may signal onto a nationwide letter urging Congress to guard HUD. The deadline for sign-ons is Tuesday, March 11.
The U.S. Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) introduced a important coverage shift, stating that it’s going to not present the chance for public touch upon guidelines addressing grants, advantages, or contracts.
This motion rescinded a five-decade-long coverage, referred to as the Richardson Waiver, that was put in place to offer higher transparency and public participation in rulemaking for Medicaid and Medicare.
The affect of this modification will differ throughout applications and particular rulemaking. For instance, discover and remark is required by statute for a lot of Medicare guidelines. Nevertheless, this modification may cut back public enter on insurance policies that straight have an effect on older adults’ well being and well-being.
Justice in Getting older will proceed to observe for any impacts on older adults and supply updates shifting ahead.
Learn extra about HHS’ coverage reversal right here.
Congress Negotiating FY25 Spending Payments
Congress is negotiating spending payments for Fiscal 12 months 2025, with the present non permanent spending invoice (referred to as a seamless decision, or CR) set to run out subsequent week on March 14.
The appropriations course of and the CR are separate from finances reconciliation, by way of which Republicans voted to make huge cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP).
Annual spending payments handed by way of the appropriations course of fund quite a lot of applications, equivalent to Older People Act (OAA) applications and federal rental help.
OAA applications are a lifeline and significant useful resource for almost 11 million older adults and their household caregivers. They assist the well being, dignity, and independence of older adults, they usually embrace authorized help, diet companies, senior heart applications, caregiver assist, and extra.
Justice in Getting older is continuous to induce Congress to guard funding for all OAA applications. USAging has info and templates that advocates and suppliers can use to ask lawmakers to guard and fund OAA applications.
We’re additionally urging Congress to offer elevated funding for housing and homeless help applications. Homelessness is at an all-time excessive, with older adults comprising virtually one in 5 people who find themselves unhoused. Use these sources by the Nationwide Low Revenue Housing Coalition to contact Congress concerning the significance of funding housing and homeless help.
HUD Releases IFR on Truthful Housing
The U.S. Division of Housing and City Growth (HUD) just lately printed an interim remaining rule (IFR) on Affirmatively Furthering Truthful Housing (AFFH).
The federal Truthful Housing Act (FHA) features a statutory responsibility for HUD and its grantees to “affirmatively additional honest housing,” and varied HUD guidelines or proposed guidelines over time have tried to outline this accountability. AFFH is a vital device for addressing disparities in housing entry for marginalized communities.
The brand new IFR, nevertheless, imposes minimal AFFH necessities on HUD grantees and weakens current honest housing necessities. This new rule repeals the Biden-era 2021 IFR on AFFH, and the brand new IFR will go into impact on April 2, 2025. HUD is accepting feedback on the IFR till Could 2, 2025.
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