Endorsed Letters & Legislation The Homeless Children and Youth Act (HCYA)

August 28, 2023

The legislation aligns federal definitions of homelessness for children and youth, streamlining assistance, leveraging resources, and bringing greater visibility to the reality of family and youth homelessness.

Endorsed Letters & Legislation Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act of 2023

August 28, 2023

This legislation will make days spent in observation count towards Medicare’s three-day inpatient stay requirement for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) coverage.

Endorsed Letters & Legislation Volunteer Driver Tax Appreciation Act

August 28, 2023

The legislation raises the volunteer mileage rate to the standard business mileage rate for volunteers who drive their vehicles on behalf of charitable nonprofits to transport property or individuals.

Letters Letter to Chair Bernie Sanders and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee

August 28, 2023

Lutheran Services in America responded to the Committee’s request for Information on the drivers of health care workforce shortages and ideas for potential solutions.

Letters Letter to House and Senate Appropriations Leaders urging them to support greater funding for affordable senior housing

August 28, 2023

Lutheran Services in America joined other national organizations to urge Congress to support robust funding to meet the affordable housing needs of older adults in Fiscal Year 2024.

Endorsed Letters & Legislation Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act

August 28, 2023

The bill creates 250K housing vouchers, paired with mobility-related services (counseling, case management), targeted to families with young children to help them move to neighborhoods with good-performing schools, childcare, or early education programs. The text is identical to last year’s version, except that the bill now funds 250K vouchers (down from 500K, unfortunately).

Letters Letter to Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements

August 28, 2023

Lutheran Services in America joined other partners to send USCIS a letter urging them to consider operational methods to save costs rather than increasing costs for the same level of service and more alternatives to reduce the need for applicants to contact USCIS.

Comments & Statements Comments to ACL on Older Americans Act

August 14, 2023

Lutheran Services in America submitted comments on the update to the regulations governing the Older Americans Act.

Comments & Statements Comments to CMS on its Proposed Rule Related to Medicaid Access

July 10, 2023

Lutheran Services in America submitted comments urging CMS to support regular rate reviews and competitive wages for direct service providers (DSPs) within the current payment model, not to mandate that 80% of Medicaid reimbursement for personal care, home health aides and other DSPs be spent on DSP compensation.

Statement on Equity and Unity

June 4, 2020

From Charlotte Haberaecker, President and CEO of Lutheran Services in America

Our conviction that diversity is our strength, unity our biggest hope, and equity for all people throughout America must be demanded and achieved has never been more true — nor more deeply felt — than over this past week. George Floyd’s senseless death, like the countless people before him struck down by systemic racism, must be more than yet another wake-up call.

Damyn Kelly, President and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of New York, is correct when he emphasizes the obligation we all have to “not only act in ways that enhance quality of life for those we serve, but also to speak out against injustice when we see or experience it… We must continue to explore our personal biases against those who are different.”

As a faith-based community, we honor, respect and heed the voices in America crying out in pain, frustration and anger. In lifting high and responding to those voices, we not only have the collective opportunity to fix as a nation what has been so wrong for so long, but the imperative to do so. Doing so will require not only listening carefully and personal commitments to battle inequity and racism at every turn, but creating related policy improvements that so directly impact communities nationwide.

As people of faith, we pray and speak for hope, healing, justice and peace. As Lutheran social ministry, God’s grace and care for our neighbor — central tenets of our heritage — inform our commitment to dismantling inequity. Acting to build a stronger future — one that is fair, just and will deliver meaningful change for us all — will make our communities and nation immeasurably stronger.

About Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America is the national network of Lutheran social ministry organizations — connecting over 300 nonprofit health and human service providers located throughout the country. Recognized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Forbes as one of the nation’s largest nonprofits, the Lutheran Services in America network operates with more than $22 billion in annual revenue and over 250,000 member employees. Together, the network lifts up the nation’s most vulnerable people from children to seniors — making a difference in the lives of one in 50 Americans every year. To learn more, please visit www.lutheranservices.org.