Coalition on Human Needs: We will continue to oppose blank check funding and lawless actions by ICE and Border Patrol
June 10, 2026
CHN Analysis: Two-Thirds of Human Needs Programs Have Lost Ground Since 2010
David Elliot,
February 19, 2020
A new analysis released today by the Coalition on Human Needs found that since 2010, a large number of programs providing health care, housing, training and education, nutrition, child welfare and other social services of special importance to low-income people have seen significant reductions. CHN analyzed spending for 191 human needs programs funded by the federal government. It found that two-thirds (127 programs) were funded at a lower level this year than in FY 2010, adjusted for inflation. More than a quarter of these (49 programs) lost 25 percent or more of funding over the decade. Nearly six out of ten (112 programs) dropped by more than 10 percent.
The Human Needs Report Special Edition: President Trump’s FY21 Budget Request
Leo Nguyen,
February 18, 2020
CHN just released a special edition of the Human Needs Report focusing on President Trump's FY21 budget request. Read on for an overview of the request and details from select departmental budgets that most directly impact low-income people.
The Growing Jail Crisis in Rural America
Rebecca Isaksen,
February 14, 2020
James Burns was 15 years old when he was sentenced to prison as an adult. The adult unit that Burns was assigned to repeatedly placed him in solitary confinement. He described the solitary confinement experience as “truly horrible.” Burns shared stories of individuals who suffered great psychological distress from solitary confinement and reported that he was lucky to come out of it and still be able to be a functioning member of society. Burns was a panelist at a recent Vera Institute for Justice event entitled, “America’s Hidden Rural Jail Crisis.” This panel discussion brought together experts with various connections to the criminal justice system to address the current rising incarceration population in rural America.
Count your cuties: How hospitals and medical providers are helping count kids for the 2020 Census
David Elliot,
February 13, 2020
In the 2010 Census, more than 12 percent of Washington, D.C.’s young children — aged 0 to 4 – weren’t counted. That was almost triple the national average – and when it came time to distribute federal funds, D.C. missed out on resources that could have gone to key programs such as affordable housing, nutrition assistance and school programs. Advocates are determined not to let it happen again. They’ve launched Count Your Cuties, a campaign to make sure every young person is counted in the 2020 Census.
CHN: Trump budget offers hardship now and a bleaker future
Deborah Weinstein,
February 10, 2020
President Trump calls his proposal, "A Budget for America’s Future." But the future he envisions is bleak indeed. He proposes less health care, less food for Americans in need, large cuts to Social Security disability benefits, and other harmful cuts, ranging from affordable housing to heating and cooling assistance to student loans and so much more. This is the Trump choice: make the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans permanent, and take away medical care, housing, job training, and food from millions of Americans.
