FEBRUARY 29, 2024 FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Celebrates Third Anniversary of the Reestablishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

 FEBRUARY 29, 2024

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Celebrates Third Anniversary of the Reestablishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Three years ago this month, President Biden signed an executive order reestablishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (“Partnerships Office”). The Partnerships Office is an essential part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to bring people of all backgrounds and beliefs together to meet our challenges, build a more perfect union, and restore the soul of our country. The Partnerships Office works with agency Centers for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, and Veterans Affairs; the United States Agency for International Development; and the Small Business Administration; as well as staff at AmeriCorps, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Labor. Over the past year, this team has partnered with a wide range of faith-based and neighborhood organizations to advance shared priorities. Administration achievements include:

Safeguarding the right to practice faith without fear and other aspects of religious freedom

Secured the greatest funding increase in our nation’s history for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to bolster the physical security of nonprofits, including churches, gurdwaras, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship. Created a guide to apply for this program, increased applications by 50%, and trained more than 7,600 faith leaders on maintaining safe places of worship.

Released the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, and announced the development of a National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination. These efforts include the following actions promoting religious freedom:

Produced materials for medical schools and health care providers on preventing discrimination in patient care, including on the basis of religion.

Increased access to all USDA feeding programs for USDA customers with religious dietary needs, including those who need kosher and halal food.

Distributed materials on nondiscrimination and workplace religious accommodations to employers and employees.

Developed Allied Against Hate: A Toolkit for Faith Communities to help more Americans stand in solidarity across faiths to counter hate in all its forms.

Released updated guidance on protected prayer and other religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools.

Launched Building Bridges in Development: USAID’s Strategic Religious Engagement Policy to affirm the important role religious leaders play in locally led development and humanitarian assistance.

Celebrated the 25th anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act and continued to use its tools to give voice to the persecuted, empower advocates, and promote religious freedom around the world.

Reestablished the Department of Justice’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and installed Sim Singh Attariwala as director, the first Sikh American to lead an agency Center.

Launched the Free to Learn campaign to help educational institutions prevent hate-based threats and bullying, recover from hate-based violence, and enhance overall school safety.

Expressed intent to amend DHS regulations in order to increase flexibilities for certain nonimmigrant workers, including religious workers.

Promoting health and supporting veterans

Launched the M.O.M.S. (Maternal Outcomes Matter Showers) Tour in support of the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, holding events in eleven cities and serving over 5,000 mothers and families.

 Engaged more than 17,000 faith and community leaders to help families maintain health coverage by renewing their Medicaid coverage or enrolling in health plans through Healthcare.gov. Created public service announcements (PSAs) and a frequently asked questions document to increase awareness about Medicaid eligibility and coverage options.

Trained over 3,000 USDA customer-facing staff on the unique mental health challenges facing farmers and agricultural workers, and engaged 1,000 faith leaders to share USDA’s Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network resources.

Engaged minority communities in suicide prevention by producing PSAs about 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for Black, Muslim, and Hindu communities.  

Helped veterans across the country receive the services and care they deserve by raising awareness about the PACT Act—the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors in over thirty years.

Provided over 300 gun locks to veteran-affiliated communities as part of the White House Strategy to Reduce Military and Veteran Suicide.

Coordinated with 100 faith-based and community organizations to create veteran welcome centers to connect veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors to Department of Veterans Affairs services.

Expanding opportunity for all Americans

Assisted more than 113,000 low-income Americans with tax preparation through AmeriCorps programs, returning more than $84 million to eligible families.

Hosted the Department of Commerce National Partnerships Summit and convened the first-ever Commerce summits for Muslim American and Jewish American leaders to promote job creation, economic growth, and equity by providing information on small business loans, export promotion assistance, climate resilience support, and access to data and technology. Also connected young people to jobs, internships, and apprenticeships through the first Department of Commerce National Youth Summit, which convened over 350 youth in-person and over 2,000 youth online.

Addressed the housing needs of older Americans by training more than 2,500 members of faith-based and community organizations to assist renters over the age of 65 with cost-burden spending, and to leverage the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, which helps nonprofits develop supportive housing for the elderly. 

Added 187,000 tutors and mentors to public schools through the National Partnership for Student Success.

Supported efforts to increase the supply of safe and affordable housing for low-income and homeless families by offering technical assistance related to the Housing Trust Fund, which provides grants to states to produce and preserve affordable housing.

Trained Tribal leaders to leverage HUD grants to expand affordable housing, address infrastructure needs, and increase homeownership.

Coordinated Small Business Sunday events with houses of worship to help small and minority-owned businesses grow and thrive.

Responding to natural disasters and protecting the environment

Partnered with faith-based and community organizations to support the federal response to disasters in Alabama, California, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Puerto Rico, and Vermont.

Co-hosted a roundtable with Black faith-based and community organizations to share best practices for a whole-of-community approach to climate resilience and proactive engagement with historically underserved populations.

Reached more than 850 emergency management, nonprofit, and faith leaders in a webinar series designed to increase support for LGBTQ+ persons before, during and after disasters.

Developed Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Faith-Based Partners, and shared Building Alliances for Climate Action with faith-based and community leaders at the United Nations Climate Conference. 

Created Energy and Water Efficiency Checklist for Worship Facilities and the Energy and Water Checklist for Camps and Retreats to share best practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to facility operations, and to support sustainability and financial stewardship, including at America’s approximately 6,000 diverse religious camps and retreats.