Appropriations Overview

Appropriations are laws passed by Congress that fund the federal government each fiscal year (October 1 to September 30). One of Congress’ most important Constitutional roles is to determine how much money the federal government will spend on things like defense, healthcare, education, and social services. The appropriations process happens every year, and youth homelessness advocates must participate in this process to ensure that the federal programs that prevent and end youth homelessness continue to be funded.

The appropriations process generally follows these steps:

  1. President’s Budget Proposal (Beginning of the calendar year) The President submits a budget request to Congress for the upcoming fiscal year that outlines their funding priorities and policy goals.
  2. Congressional Budget Resolution (Spring) The House and Senate Budget Committees develop a budget resolution, which dictates how much money the government can spend that year. This resolution serves as a framework for appropriations.
  3. Appropriations Bills Drafted (Spring-Summer) The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are each divided further into 12 subcommittees, which oversee a particular area of spending. The subcommittees draft their respective appropriations bills.
  4. House and Senate Approval (Summer-Fall) The 12 appropriations bills must be debated and approved by the rest of the House and Senate. If the House and Senate have different appropriations bills—which they often do—they must negotiate and agree on one version.
  5. President’s Signature (Before October 1) The final versions of the bills are sent to the President for approval. The President can sign them into law or veto them.
  6. The process begins again for the next fiscal year!

Advocating for increased funding throughout the appropriations process is critical. To learn more about how to advocate, visit our Become an Advocate page.

NN4Y’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Appropriations Requests

See the funding history for these and more programs that impact youth homelessness.

Detailed Appropriations Requests

For over 50 years, the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act program (RHYA) has provided the foundation for American communities’ responses to prevent and end youth homelessness and human trafficking. Its programs include short-term housing and family reunification for minors, long-term housing and supportive services for youth up to age 22, including pregnant or parenting youth, and street outreach to connect youth with supportive services and prevent trafficking. The services RHYA provides to young people experiencing homelessness are highly effective at setting young people up for long-term success and are more cost-effective than other systems young people experiencing homelessness may come into contact with.

RHYA programs have been chronically underfunded since their inception. Nationally, only about one percent of youth and young adults experiencing homelessness are served by an RHYA program each year.

Increased funding would:

  • Support approximately 1,400 RHYA programs in communities across the United States.
  • Allow approximately 49,034 young people to access housing and supportive services, and connect with 70,000 youth via street outreach and drop-in centers. While the current need exceeds these numbers, this target would significantly increase our ability to prevent and end youth homelessness.

The Education for Homeless Children and Youth program (EHCY) is the only federal education program that removes barriers to school enrollment, attendance, and success caused by homelessness. Without this specific, targeted assistance, homeless children and youth are unlikely to benefit from any investment in education and are at much higher risk of experiencing homelessness as adults. Not having a high school degree is the greatest risk factor associated with homelessness as a young adult.

Increased funding would:

  • Increase the number of schools that receive EHCY grants. Nationally, only 24 percent of school districts receive EHCY grants. This insufficient funding restricts schools from properly identifying homeless students, ensuring their access to schooling, and connecting them to community support.

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) is a competitive grant program that provides funding for local Continuums of Care (CoC) to reduce the number of youth experiencing homelessness in their communities. YHDP projects work in partnership with community stakeholders and Youth Action Boards.

Increased funding would:

  • Ensure that every CoC receives funding to serve youth experiencing homelessness. Only 124 CoCs across the country have received YHDP funding.

Youth Homelessness System Improvement (YHSI) grants create a more seamless and coordinated system of care for youth experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Recognizing that systemic change often extends beyond a single community, HUD has incentivized statewide or cross-community project proposals to emphasize the importance of coordination across communities.

Increased funding would:

  • Allow more communities and states to benefit from this funding to improve community systems ending youth homelessness. Only 38 communities across the country have received a YHSI grant.

Learn More