**For Immediate Release**

Kyla Gill, Kyla.Gill@mail.house.gov 

Vaibhav Vijay, Vaibhav.Vijay@mail.house.gov 

Congresswoman Summer Lee Speaks at Annual Homeless Children’s Education Fund’s Stand Up Rally, Urging Action to Support Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Pittsburgh, PA – October 1, 2024 – Today, Congresswoman Summer Lee joined community members, local leaders, and advocates at the Homeless Children’s Education Fund’s (HCEF) annual Stand Up Rally in downtown Pittsburgh to raise awareness and call for increased support for youth experiencing homelessness across Allegheny County and Pennsylvania. The rally brought together approximately 100 community members at the Pittsburgh City County Building to stand in solidarity with students impacted by homelessness and to push for urgent action to address the systemic barriers facing these vulnerable young people.

During her remarks, Congresswoman Lee underscored the significance of a coordinated community effort to address the crisis of student homelessness, emphasizing the need for sustainable public investment at all levels.

“Today, we’re standing up not just for these kids—but with them,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “Homelessness among students is a community issue, not just a classroom issue. We can’t keep using the same old approaches and expect different results. What we need is innovation, investment, and a promise from all of us—from our schools, to our local governments, to our federal policymakers—that we won’t stop showing up until every student has the resources they need to thrive. We need to say to these kids, ‘We care about you, and we want you to live a healthy, fulfilling life.’”

Congresswoman Lee further called for robust and sustained federal investment, pointing to the upcoming expiration of American Rescue Plan funding for homeless youth programs as a potential crisis point. The $32 million in federal support helped establish new programs statewide, but the funds are set to expire in January 2025, leaving critical programs and services at risk.

“Now more than ever, we need to act to ensure that these resources don’t dry up. The gains we’ve made in supporting youth experiencing homelessness must not be allowed to crumble. This is a moment for us to commit to creating a system that doesn’t just react to crises but proactively supports our most vulnerable students.”

About Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF): 

The Homeless Children’s Education Fund is dedicated to advancing the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County. Through direct programs and community engagement, HCEF works to support the academic success and well-being of these young people by meeting them where they are, advocating for equitable access, and providing holistic support that extends beyond the classroom.

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Since taking office in January 2023, Lee, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and Space, Science and Technology Committee, has delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2 Billion brought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania’s infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 2,700 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.