Join the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and the National Coalition for the Homeless in their effort to introduce and pass federal legislation that would address a portion of the benefits cliff-related barriers that lived experience advocates face while providing consultation for the homeless services system.

  The proposed legislation seeks to exclude some compensation received by a person with lived experience of homelessness for their consultation services when calculating their Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit amount. While many federal benefits are affected by a "benefits cliff," SSI's restrictive income disregard amounts result in a greater impact. By adding a new provision into the Social Security Act that specifically excludes this type of income from SSI benefit calculations, lived experience advocates can provide services that are beneficial to both themselves, and the homeless services system, without fear of their benefits being reduced. This change could lift these individuals further out of poverty by encouraging participation in paid consultation opportunities as well as ensure that changes to the homeless services system are rooted in the experience of those closest to it.

  You can read more about the proposal in our fact sheet. Additionally, if you, or someone you know has lived experience of homelessness and is willing to complete an anonymous benefits survey, please complete or forward this survery link.