Action Alert: Congress Proposes Funding Cuts to PATH Program

We are reaching out to ask you to ACT NOW in response to cuts proposed in Congress to programs serving persons living with mental illness and substance abuse disorders experiencing homelessness.

The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program allocates funds by formula to states to serve people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and are diagnosed with serious mental illness. This funding helps support critical street outreach services. PATH supported programs reached over 2,701 Connecticut residents in fiscal year 2014. Of these, 66% were experiencing homelessness, and at least 17% had been homelessness for more than a year.

The Appropriations Bills from the House and Senate propose large cuts to the PATH program under SAMHSA. The Senate proposed a $25 million cut to PATH for FY16, a 38% cut from the $65 million allocated in FY15. The House is proposing a $10 million cut to PATH in FY16. In addition, the House and Senate are proposing $2 million cut to SAMHSA homeless programs and the Senate is proposing a $50 million cut to the Substance Abuse Block Grant.

These cuts would be detrimental to our efforts to end homelessness and provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities. On August 27, Governor Malloy announced that Connecticut is the first state to end chronic Veterans experiencing homelessness. This is a momentous feat, and it could not have been accomplished without the help of street outreach workers working to identify and support people experiencing homelessness.

We are also on track to ending all Veterans experiencing homelessness by the end of 2015 and chronic homelessness by 2016. Please take a moment to ask your elected officials to fund the PATH program and let them know about the crucial role street outreach workers play in our work to end homelessness in the state of Connecticut.

Click here for more information on the impact of the PATH Program.

Take Action:

  • Call your representatives in Congress and ask to speak to staffers working on health related issues or send them an e-mail.

Click here to contact the offices of Sens. Blumenthal and Murphy

Click here to contact the offices of Reps. Esty, DeLauro, Larson, Himes, and Courtney

Please contact Sarah Fox (sfox@cceh.org) and Carline Charmelus (carline@pschousing.org) to relay and updates from your conversations with the congressional delegation.

Thank you for your continued support, and all your efforts and advocacy towards ending homelessness in Connecticut!