Positions & Policies on Homelessness & Housing

NLCHP has compiled the positions of the major 2008 presidential candidates concerning the nation's current homelessness crisis.  The positions that the candidates have taken on homelessness and on issues related to homelessness and poverty are compiled from the official candidate websites as well as the candidates' Senate web pages. 

NLCHP used its policy priorities, which focus on increasing access to housing, income, healthcare, education, and other social services, as a guide in determining which issue areas to include. Also listed are the results of the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness Champions' Pledge, which was offered to all candidates to sign. Information is current as of March 11, 2008.

NLCHP is a non-partisan, non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. As such, it does not endorse any candidate. Candidates are presented in alphabetical order.

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SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D)

New Hampshire Coalition Champions' Pledge to End Homelessness:
Not signed

• Co-sponsored the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act ¹ 
• Plans a homelessness prevention program for veterans that will provide subsidies, eviction prevention, and one-time rental assistance. Also plans to expand rental assistance for veterans through housing choice vouchers ²
• In Senate, worked to protect Section 8 and Community Development Block Grant funding ¹
  
• Opposed cutting funding for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS and Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly ¹
  
• Introduced the Housing Americas Workforce Act and the Federal Housing Fairness Act ¹
  
• Co-sponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which provides full and equal access to public housing for victims of domestic violence ³
  

• Plans to expand the EITC and increase benefits ²

Health

• Proposes giving tax credits to low-income families for health care costs ²
• Opposes the privatization of Social Security ¹
• Opposes cuts to Medicaid ¹

• Plans to increase access to early education and support Early Head Start and Head Start ²
• Intends to reach the funding promised to the IDEA program, which focuses on children with special needs; co-sponsored the act in Senate ^{1, 2}

• Plans to increase and improve upon veterans services ²

New Hampshire Coalition Champions' Pledge to End Homelessness:
Not signed

Housing
No mention on campaign or Senate website

Income
No mention on campaign or Senate website

Health

• Plans to fight for equal treatment for disabled veterans under the retirement system ⁴
• Plans to ensure that the Veteran's Affairs provides care for all eligible veterans ⁴
• Co-sponsored a measure to allow disabled veterans to enroll in the same health insurance offered to Senators and Congressmen. ⁴
• Has supported repealing the historic ban for veterans on receiving both disability and retirement pay at the same time ⁴
• Proposes requiring any state receiving Medicaid to develop a financial "risk adjustment" bonus to high-cost and low-income families to supplement tax credits and Medicaid funds ⁴

Services

• Supported bills to help homeless veterans with counseling and residential treatment programs ⁴
  

New Hampshire Coalition Champions' Pledge to End Homelessness: : 
Signed ⁵

• Plans to create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund ⁶
• Supported increased funding for Section 202 senior housing ⁶
• Plans to fund the Community Development Block Grant program ⁶
• Plans to expand on current programs and fund a supportive services housing program to prevent homelessness among veterans ⁶

• Co-sponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act which provides full and equal access to public housing for victims of domestic violence ³
  

Income

• Plans to expand the EITC and increase benefits; in Senate, helped to create the Illinois EITC ⁶
• Proposes indexing the minimum wage to inflation ⁶
• Plans to provide all low and middle-income workers a tax credit to offset the payroll taxes ⁶
• Proposes eliminating taxes for seniors making under $50,000 per year ⁶
• Plans to increase funding to LIHEAP, which provides energy assistance to low-income households ⁶

Health

• Plans to mandates coverage of all American children and to expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs ⁶
• Promotes programs like the Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothers ⁶
• Sponsors VA Hospital Quality Report Card Act of 2007- which seeks to improve reporting on the quality of Veterans Affairs hospitals ⁷
  
• Opposed proposed cuts to food support programs ⁸
• Opposes the privatization of Social Security ⁸

Education for Low-Income Children & Adults

• Plans to invest in early childhood education for low-income families ⁶
• Plans to increase support to Early Head Start and Head Start ⁶
• Plans to invest in transitional jobs and career pathway programs, including additional investment in ex-offender job training ⁶

Services

• Plans to expand and improve existing services for veterans ⁶
• Plans to create an Office on Urban Policy that focuses on effectively targeting urban areas ⁶
• Plans to increase funding to the federal Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program, which helps low-income individuals get to jobs and child care services ⁶