As we anticipated the snowy weekend, Domestic Human Needs coalition (DHN) members gathered on Thursday to plan and strategize for the year ahead. Realigning subcommittees, laying out important legislative campaigns, and eating pizza, members outlined key goals and measures of success for 2026. Updates for each of the four subcommittees are provided here.
Labor and Education
One of the biggest changes coming to DHN for 2026 is the realignment of the previously named Jobs, Labor, and Economy subcommittee, now named the Labor and Education subcommittee. By focusing and redefining the scope of this subcommittee, DHN is placing greater attention on the connection
between poverty alleviation and workforce development going into this year.
Also new to the Labor and Education committee is additional leadership. Antoine Cummins, Program Director for Civil Rights at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, joins Catholic Charities USA and Bread for the World in leading the subcommittee.
“I am energized by this opportunity to work alongside the incredible faith leaders of the Washington Interreligious Staff Community and Domestic Human Needs, who remain committed to addressing the legislative issues and opportunities at the intersection of Labor and Education. I am eager to draw on the decades of experience and federal advocacy best practice that the Domestic Human Needs coalition continues to deliver.”
The Labor and Education subcommittee laid out three key areas of collaboration for this year:
1. Protection and funding for workforce development and training programs;
2. Protection and establishment of workers’ rights, including employee benefits, minimum wage increase, and access to mandatory leave;
3. And mitigating impacts on Pell Grants for higher education.
Tax, Appropriations, and Bugdet (TAB)
Another DHN group of crucial importance this year is the Tax, Appropriations, and Budget subcommittee (TAB). The United Church of Christ joins NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice in leading the charge on TAB's main focus: FY27 appropriations.
Emphasis was placed on working with the other DHN subcommittees to ensure that key, poverty-eliminating programs are funded in the next fiscal year. Among other listed programs, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) were top of mind.
Housing and Homelessness
The Housing and Homelessness subcommittee reiterated the importance of ensuring that the FY27 budget protects key programs for those facing homelessness. While the Road to Housing Act did not make it into the National Defense Authrization Act (NDAA) at the end of 2025, other housing packages might be moving forward this year. Part of this subcommittee's task will be to make sure that no harmful provisions accompany those highly needed, bipartisan housing reforms. Other areas of priority were lack of affordable housing supply and reentry for formally incarcerated individuals.
Hunger and Nutrition
Lastly, the Hunger and Nutrition subcommittee laid out three crucial goals related to the reduction of hunger and poverty in America this year.
1. Delay the cost shift of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to states as directed by H.R. 1 passed last year;
2. Reestablish and reauthorize the annual Household Food Security Report;
3. And ensure nutrition assistance for women, infants, and children (WIC) is fully
funded in the FY27 appropriations process.
Pictured: Staff from various DHM member organizations celebratig a successful day-long retreat and looking forward to the year ahead. Credit: ELCA.
At the end of our day-long retreat, we concluded by reflecting on how well DHN members mobilized and collaborated on significant bills impacting poverty in 2025. Gathering in legislative committee meetings to bear witness to healthcare and food assistance cuts, mobilizing grassroots clergy on state sign-on letters, and approaching lawmakers over the inclusion of Road to Housing in the NDAA were only some of the notable moments highlighting the impact of DHN’s work.
Now, as January comes to an end, the rest of 2026 lays ahead. DHN will continue to advocate for policies that will strengthen housing programs, work to ensure that the federal budget is a moral document, and mobilize constituents and people of faith to contact their congressional delegation on issues that range from food and nutrition security to workforce development opportunities.
We hope you will stay up to date with DHN and support our work in 2026!