Advocacy Agenda and Priorities
Health Care for the Homeless provides health-related services, education and advocacy
to reduce the incidence and burden of homelessness in Maryland. Central to this
mission is a commitment to advocacy with and on behalf of people without homes and
those at risk of homelessness. Based on HCH’s Advocacy Agenda** and upon current
events, HCH has prioritized the following items for 2011. These priorities are subject to
change in consideration of constantly evolving external factors.
- Expanded health insurance coverage: HCH will promote the comprehensive treatment needs of people experiencing homelessness within the context of health reform and the recommendations of the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council. HCH will support the expansion of Medicaid for people living in or near poverty - including early expansion for people below 25 percent of the federal poverty line. HCH will advocate for a seamless transition from safety net health services to comprehensive public health insurance. The organization will work through the National Health Care for the Homeless Council to improve the Medicaid program and advance continued efforts to increase access to comprehensive health care.
- Increased availability of affordable housing: HCH will advance public policies that increase the availability and accessibility of affordable housing for people with extremely low incomes by (1) advocating for resources (e.g., housing vouchers), policies (e.g., nondiscrimination based on a person’s legal source of income and zoning law) and strategies (e.g., housing first) necessary to rapidly re-house persons experiencing homelessness and meet the needs of those at risk of homelessness, and (2) collaborating on federal efforts to finance the National Housing Trust Fund.
- Improved access to emergency shelter and services: HCH will work in partnership with other agencies to expand effective outreach in Baltimore City, ensure access to appropriate and effective emergency services in accessible locations (including and especially at the new Baltimore City shelter), and defend state and local funding for emergency shelter and supportive services.
- Enhanced availability of appropriate incomes: HCH will defend the state’s disability assistance program, advocate improved and expedited access to federal and state disability and unemployment benefits, and support progressive tax structures. HCH also will support livable wages and broader supportive services for low-wage workers.
- Expanded reentry services and opportunities: HCH will promote policies that break the link between incarceration and homelessness by reducing barriers to successful reintegration into community living. HCH will work in partnership with other agencies to broaden the array of services, planning, and resources for persons leaving public institutions and medical facilities. Protection of civil rights: HCH will oppose efforts to criminalize the experience of homelessness. HCH will support efforts to monitor implementation of legislation designed to protect the health and safety of people without homes.
- Expanded access to health-related services: HCH will work toward continued financial support of comprehensive services for people experiencing homelessness, including the federal Health Care for the Homeless Program and opportunities offered through federal health reform for expanded sites and services. HCH will work within the context of health reform to increase the health care workforce to meet the health care needs of people living in or near poverty.
** Click here to see the HCH 2011-2015 Advocacy Agenda for the full scope of the agency’s ongoing advocacy work.
For additional information on Health Care for the Homeless or its 2011 Advocacy Priorities, please contact Kevin Lindamood at 410/837-5533 x1303.