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Congress Agrees on FY 2010 Spending Bills for Mental Illness Research & Services

December 14, 2009

The Senate yesterday cleared President Obama’s signature spending legislation (HR 3288) for FY 2010 for a broad array of domestic discretionary spending, including funding for mental illness research, mental health services, housing and veterans programs.  These bills cover funding for the current fiscal year which began on October 1, 2009. 

View details of final FY 2010 funding levels for mental illness research and services, as well as housing and veterans programs.

Last Chance to Pass National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Funding in 2009 

Separate from the FY 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill (HR 3288), there is still an effort underway to secure funding for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) as part of the final FY 2010 defense spending bill (which is moving separate from the omnibus spending bill).  This would ensure an initial $1 billion capitalization of the NHTF and project-based voucher funding for most of the NHTF rental housing units.

Action Required!!

Call your Senators and Representative now.  Ask them to support including this important NHTF funding in the FY 2010 Department of Defense appropriations bill.  You can use this toll-free call-in number, 877-210-5351, for the congressional switchboard. 

What is the NHTF and Why is NAMI Supporting a $1 Billion Initial Capitalization and Project-Based Vouchers?

Last year, Congress authorized a new NHTF program to invest new funding in the development and preservation of rental housing targeted to extremely low-income households.  Over time, this new NHTF program offers tremendous promise in addressing the affordable rental housing needs of people with serious mental illness who rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for basic support needs.  An important study by the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities (CCD), known as Priced Out 2008, demonstrates that non-elderly adults living on SSI are (on average) at 18% of area median income – well below the standard of extremely low-income renters.

Once up and running, the NHTF will provide capital funding through state housing agencies developing and preserving affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households.  The current proposal would also allow funding of project-based vouchers to ensure that rents are affordable for people with extremely low incomes.

View additional information on the NHTF.

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