Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin
Senator Manchin successfully fought to include $800 million in the American Rescue Plan to help students experiencing homelessness
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced $3,743,199 from the American Rescue Plan to help West Virginia schools identify and support students experiencing homelessness. West Virginia has received nearly $5 million from the $800 million Senator Manchin fought to include in the American Rescue Plan to help students experiencing homelessness.
“Every child across America and West Virginia should have a roof over their head every single night,” said Senator Manchin. “I fought to ensure that the American Rescue Plan included $800 million to help identify and assist students currently experiencing homelessness. Today’s approval of state plans releases the second round of funding. West Virginia alone will be receiving more than $3.7 million, which is good news for the more than 10,000 West Virginia children and youth currently experiencing homelessness. This fight is far from over, and I’ll keep working with the Department of Education to ensure our children get the help they need and deserve.”
In the United States, over 1.5 million children and youth are currently experiencing homelessness. In West Virginia alone there are over 10,000 children and youth currently experiencing homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded this issue with high unemployment, unstable living conditions, and job insecurity, resulting in higher rates of homelessness in children, youth and families.
Senator Manchin’s efforts to secure $800 million in the American Rescue Plan for students experiencing homelessness:
- April 23, 2021: Senator Manchin participated in a roundtable with Department of Education Secretary Cardona, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and students from around the country, including a student from West Virginia, to discuss the students’ own experiences with homelessness. Senator Manchin also announced that West Virginia will receive $1,246,924 in the first round of funding.
- April 13, 2021: Senator Manchin led five bipartisan Senators in urging U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to implement the $800 million fund included in the American Rescue Plan to support children and youth experiencing homelessness and to help schools identify and assist students experiencing homelessness due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- March 6, 2021: The Senate unanimously passed Senator Manchin’s bipartisan amendment to include $800 million in the American Rescue Plan to support students currently experiencing homelessness.
- February 9, 2021: Senator Manchin introduced the bipartisan Emergency Family Stabilization Act to create a new emergency funding stream to provide flexible funding for community-based organizations working to meet the unique and challenging needs of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to address children and youth homelessness can be found here.