Let’s not abandon neediest - Kerry's editoria;

[Mass]

http://www.telegram.com/article/20101005/NEWS/10050353/1020
Let’s not abandon neediest
AS I SEE IT


By Sen. John F. Kerry
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Jobs must be job number one for Congress. That’s especially true today, as unemployment stays stubbornly high and more laid-off workers lose their unemployment benefits. But last Friday, struggling workers nationwide lost yet another lifeline that’s made a critical difference — they can no longer turn to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund for help.

Republican obstruction has kept the Senate from extending this emergency jobs program that’s created over 250,000 subsidized jobs for low-income workers since 2009. It has helped states strengthen their safety nets for those hardest hit by the recession by providing cash assistance so poor families can afford the basics — housing and heating bills, transportation costs, and domestic violence services. It has broad support from Democrats and Republican governors nationwide who see the difference it has made.
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The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund also helped to provide 3,000 homeless families in Massachusetts emergency shelter. This includes people in Massachusetts like Laura, the mother of a 2-year-old boy with developmental delays and a series of chronic health problems.

Until March 2008, Laura rented an apartment in West Roxbury for $1,200 per month while working at a retail job. When her job was eliminated because of the economic downturn, she could no longer pay the rent and lost her apartment. After doubling up with family and friends for almost two years, she finally turned to the Emergency Assistance program for help earlier this year, in large part because her son’s health condition was getting worse as a result of their overcrowded and unstable living situations.

Laura was placed in a family shelter through the state’s Emergency Assistance program, which is funded with TANF resources. This important safety net made all the difference for Laura. Her son’s health is improving, and soon she plans to move into an apartment with a short-term subsidy and return to work. Without the Emergency Assistance program and TANF Emergency Contingency Fund, none of it would have been possible.

Today real people like Laura are facing extreme economic difficulty, even danger, through no fault of their own. They’re workers who want to get back to work. Congress should have their back rather than Washington turning its back on them. We need to do better.