PathWays PA Policy Blog

The latest state budget numbers were released earlier this afternoon .  This budget includes a spend number of $27.656 million, about $500,000 more than the Governor's budget earlier this year.  This budget may not be the final budget, but it gives some insight into where funding will go. The biggest news is the removal of the Human Services Block Grant, which had been under heavy scrutiny since its proposal by the Governor.  In February, Governor Corbett contended that creating a block grant would diminish the red tape counties face and provide them with savings as justification for his decision to cut 20% of the funding from the programs included. While the block grant has been removed, possibly in place of some new language around executive compensation , at least some of the budget cuts associated with the grant remain.   Several of the items covered under the grant, such as Mental Health Services and Homeless Assistance, have lower budgets than last year. U...

State Update This week, the Pennsylvania Senate released its numbers on the state budget.  In their version, the Senate restores $500 million in funding, including restoring funding for Pennsylvania's colleges to its current levels. In addition to adding higher education funding, the Senate chose to increase funding in certain health and health-related departments such as Epilepsy, Tourette's Syndrome, Autism, and various MA related programs, While overall funding increased,  The Philadelphia Inquirer   reported that attempts "to put in another $250 million for social services, child-care services, and a temporary cash assistance program for poor and disabled adults failed."   According to the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center , the Senate budget increases spending while continuing a proposed tax cut and cutting a proposed cap on the sales tax vendor discount. In response to the budget proposal, Governor Corbett's spokesman Eric Shirk said...

FEDERAL URGE THE “SUPER COMMITTEE” TO CONSIDER FAMILIES WHEN MAKING CUTS As a result of the debt ceiling deal in August, Congress agreed to $1 trillion in cuts to federal spending. Now, a Congressional "Super Committee" is working to find ways to reduce the deficit by an additional $1.5 billion dollars and must submit their recommendations by November 23rd. The Super Committee is meeting right now to decide what its recommendations will be. It is critically important for our nation's families to weigh in! Send a letter to your members of Congress telling them that it's unacceptable to balance the budget on the backs of children and families on Main Street. The decisions that are being made right now will define the direction of our country for years to come. Deficit solutions must create jobs and protect vital programs for children and families. EVENT SEEKS TO DISPEL SOCIAL SECURITY MYTHS The Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans will be hosting a...

LET THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR KNOW: WE NEED TO FIND AND ELIMINATE PAY INEQUITY The Department of Labor is currently in the consideration stages of a tool that would help monitor pay fairness. Though laws like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 helped make it easier to file gender-discriminated unfair pay claims, to date there is no federal tool that effectively monitors wage discrimination on the basis of gender, race or national origin by private employers. The National Women’s Law Center is urging people to support the tool, especially as it relates to private employers taking public dollars. For more information, please visit the  NWLC’s site . HELP PRESERVE FUNDING FOR PERKINS LOANS Federal Perkins Loans are an important source of funding for college for many students - providing direct, federally subsidized student loans. Though their allocation recently survived the Senate committee, the funding matter has not gone to the floor for a general vote, and the Hous...

From our friends at PUP Harrisburg Tuesday, September 27 Rally 1 PM Capitol Rotunda Free Bus leaves Philadelphia at 8:30 AM from 16th and JFK The Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance program (HEMAP) was suspended July 1 due to state budget cuts. HEMAP, which has saved the homes of over 45,000 Pennsylvania families since 1984, offers low interest loans to allow homeowners to stay in their homes during temporary economic problems like unemployment, illness, etc. With the unemployment and foreclosure crisis continuing into its 4th year, with no end in sight, PA needs mortgage help for our citizens. This is no time to end a successful program protecting deserving homeowners. Come to Harrisburg on September 27 to support the $15 million needed to keep HEMAP available to PA homeowners. Call 215-557-0822 to reserve a seat and check our web page at www.PASaveOurHomes.org . Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Save Our Homes Coalition C/o Philadelphia Unemployment Project 112 N. Br...

FEDERAL UPDATES FEDERAL UPDATES   Tell your legislators the importance of skilled jobs programs   We know that across the country, Americans are looking for jobs so that they can support their families and acheive their dreams.  What is less known is that across the country, employers are searching for workers - but too often they come up empty because they can't find workers with the skills and education needed to perform in the workplace.  We need job-training opportunities as part of any job plan to ensure that all workers and employers can take advantage of the current job market and help prepare America for the future.  Please take a moment to tell your legislators how important job-training is.   To write your legislator, click here .     Support Programs That Keep More Money in Your Pocket!     As Congress takes on the task of deficit reduction, we have a unique opportunity to advocate for programs and servic...

Federal Act Now: Pennsylvania Could See an $850 Million Hole in the Recently Passed State Budget While the state budget has been passed and signed, there is unfortunately still work to do as the budget includes $850 million in federal funding that Congress has yet to approve. Without the funding, layoffs at all levels of government, as well as teachers and emergency workers, and additional cuts to programs are likely . This funding would come from the extension of the federal percentage of matching funds for state Medicaid expenditures, known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP). The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enhanced the FMAP contribution for states through December 2010. Legislation now before Congress would extend the enhanced FMAP funding to states through June 2011, but the bill has stalled. If Congress fails to approve the FMAP funding, the Governor and legislators will have to find another way to balance the budget, which will likely...

Cross-posted on PathWays PA's Resource Library Blog .  The Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition has published two publications aimed at helping homeowners avoid foreclosure. Foreclosure can be a stressful and complicated process. These guides were produced to help homeowners understand the process so that they can take control. GPUAC’s Summer/Fall 2010 Foreclosure Prevention Guide was developed to assist professionals such as housing counselors, attorneys, and lenders. It was created by the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, a group of bankers, housing advocates, government officials, and community leaders working to combat the foreclosure crisis. Another guide is Navigating the Slippery Slope of Foreclosure , which is a brochure that provides step-by-step instructions homeowners should take, based their individual circumstances, to avoid losing their homes. Both guides can be used by social workers and case managers when homeowners at risk of foreclosure turn ...

Over the weekend, more than 20,000 individuals receiving unemployment benefits exhausted those benefits, the first large wave of individuals to do so. State lawmakers are working on legislation to extend federal unemployment benefits another seven weeks, but until then those 20,000 individuals will have to go without. One major reason individuals are exhausting their benefits, is due to the unavailability of jobs. For the few individuals who are able to find a position, many of them do not pay a self-sufficient wage, leaving some with a difficult decision of whether they pay their mortgage or put food on the table. With so many individuals unable to find work it is crucial that job training, education, and support programs, like Industry Partnership, Adult and Family Literacy, and the Homeowners’ Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, remain funded in next years budget. These programs not only provide a stable and skilled workforce but such a workforce will bring new business, an...

As the unemployment rate rises; more homeowners - with good financial histories – are facing foreclosure. The Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force has recently released its updated edition of the Foreclosure Prevention Resource Guide . The Guide is designed to help professionals assist their clients in navigating the mortgage foreclosure process. It provides up-to-date information relevant to Philadelphia’s five-county region. This Foreclosure Guide will help you: Better understand the mortgage foreclosure process Know your rights if you are behind in your mortgage payments Learn about housing counseling resources and grant and loan programs Identify opportunities to preserve your home Get important contact information To receive a hard copy, e-mail Rachel Moore at rmoore@gpuac.org or download it at www.gpuac.org/foreclosurehelp.htm .

As a part of Governor Rendell’s comprehensive plan to address the housing crisis in Pennsylvania, the state has implemented a number of new regulations for mortgage companies to prevent the kinds of opportunistic and irresponsible mortgage practices partially responsible for this foreclosure mess. The regulations went into effect last week, and are attached to some pretty hefty fines. Mortgage companies are now required to record the borrower’s income and fixed expenses, as well as proof of his or her employment. Equally important, mortgage companies are now required to provide the buyer with a simple, one page document outlining the details and caveats of their loans, including variable interest rates and prepayment penalties. Borrowers find themselves facing foreclosure for a variety of reasons. Some borrowers lose their jobs, and their unemployment payments are unable to keep pace with all their expenses, especially their mortgage payments. Others enter into contracts with lenders...