HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1564
BYRepresentatives Wineberry, Nutley, Locke, B. Williams, Ebersole, Schoon, Scott, Grimm, Cantwell, Brekke, Heavey, Leonard, Barnes, Hargrove, Todd, Wang, Anderson, Kremen, Lux, K. Wilson, Unsoeld and Butterfield
Providing employment and self-sufficiency services for the homeless.
House Committe on Housing
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (9)
Signed by Representatives Nutley, Chair; Leonard, Vice Chair; Armstrong, Barnes, Padden, Sanders, Todd, J. Williams and Wineberry.
House Staff:Kenny Pittman (786-7392)
Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations.
Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass. (20)
Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Belcher, Braddock, Brekke, Bristow, Butterfield, Ebersole, Grant, Grimm, Hine, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Peery, Silver, H. Sommers, Spanel, Sprenkle, Wang and B. Williams.
House Staff: Jack Daray (786-7136)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS/APPROPRIATIONS
FEBRUARY 7, 1988
BACKGROUND:
In December, 1987 the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless released information on the extent and characteristics of the homeless in the state of Washington. The report estimated that (a) the homeless population is in excess of fifty thousand persons; (b) it has increased; and (c) an increasing amount of homelessness is a result of a recent job loss or other economic tragedy.
Presently, there are no models in the state of Washington to address the increasing amount of homelessness that is a result of a recent job loss or other economic tragedy. Interest is high nation-wide on the provision of services, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, to all segments of the homeless population.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: GOVERNOR'S TASK FORCE ON THE HOMELESS
A Governor's Task Force on the Homeless (task force) is hereby created. The task force will consist of sixteen members, or their designees, as follows, the director of community development, the secretary of social and health services, the director of employment security, the director of veterans affairs, the director of general administration, and the superintendent of public instruction; and ten representatives, appointed by the Governor, from programs that provide emergency shelter, transitional housing, and support services to the homeless.
The task force is directed to conduct a comprehensive examination of the issue of federal, state, and local services to the homeless. The task force shall (a) submit a report, with findings and recommendations to the Governor and appropriate legislative committees, and (b) advise the Governor on critical issues which confront the homeless in the state, and (c) recommend to the Governor and Legislature a method that would allocate state funds, appropriated for the homeless, to best meet the needs of the homeless, as identified in the task force report.
The Department of Community Development (DCD) is directed to provide necessary administrative and clerical assistance to the task force.
$50,000 is appropriated, to DCD, for the operation of the task force.
The task force shall cease to exist on June 30, 1991.
HOMELESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
The Department of Community Development (DCD) with assistance from the Employment Security Department (ES) is required to develop the following programs to assist homeless individuals:
1. Homeless Self-Sufficiency
Grants may be given to local governing bodies and/or local nonprofit organizations to support up to five demonstration projects that expand or develop a coordinated comprehensive services approach for employable homeless individuals.
In selecting demonstration projects, DCD shall consider but, not be limited to: (a) the ability of the project manager to coordinate the activities necessary in job training and housing assistance for homeless individuals; and (b) the financial resources necessary to implement the project.
DCD shall consider projects that: (a) provide follow-up and long term services that assist homeless individuals make the transition out of poverty; (b) provide assistance in obtaining social and maintenance services and income support; (c) promote private sector and other assistance for homeless individuals; and (d) meet the needs of the homeless identified in the task force report.
$300,000 is appropriated for grants for the homeless self-sufficiency demonstration projects.
2. Technical Assistance and Grants for Homeless Assistance Projects
Technical assistance and grants may be given to local governing bodies and nonprofit organizations to increase their access to existing federal funds for services to homeless individuals.
The grants may be used to cover: (a) part of the local governing bodies and/or nonprofit organization's required nonfederal share of payments for the cost of the project; and (b) administrative costs necessary to increase access to other funding sources.
The funds may also be used by ES to develop additional job training programs.
Grants may not exceed fifty percent of the total project cost unless approved by DCD.
$1.1 million is appropriated for technical assistance and grants to increase access to other funding sources.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The Governor's Task Force is directed to complete its report by December 1, 1988 and recommend an allocation method for state funds, appropriated to the homeless, to meet the needs of the homeless, as identified in the task force report.
The Department of Community Development with assistance from the Employment Security Department will select local demonstration projects for homeless self-sufficiency and matching grants. The grants will be available to nonprofit organizations as well as local governing bodies.
The selected projects must consider the needs of the homeless as identified in the Governor's Task Force report.
The Employment Security Department has access to the matching grant funds to develop additional job training programs.
CHANGES PROPOSED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS/APPROPRIATIONS: A State Advisory Committee on the homeless is created to provide advice to the Department of Community Development and assigns the development of a report on the nature of homelessness to the Department. The original substitute bill created a Governor's Task Force on Homelessness to produce a report on homelessness.
The Advisory Committee is to consist of 16 members as was the Governor's Task Force in the original substitute but adds to specific membership the executive director of the State Board for Community Colleges and the director of the Office of Financial Management.
The Department of Community Development is to consult with the Department of Employment Security as well as the Advisory Committee in its comprehensive examination of services to the homeless. The review of the data on the extent of the homeless population is to direct attention to the identification of unduplicated caseload levels.
The Department is to recommend, rather than take, immediate action t reduce duplications among programs by state agencies to assist homeless individuals. The Department is to advise the legislature rather than just the governor on critical issues which confront the homeless.
Fifty thousand dollars from the state general fund is appropriated to the Department of Community Development to carry out its responsibilities in this act. The original substitute had an appropriation for an additional one million four hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a combination of grants, administrative assistance and program development.
Appropriation: $1.5 million is appropriated to the Department of Community Development.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: (Housing) Sylvia McGee, Washington State Coalition for the Homeless; and Robert Willmott, STRAND Helpers.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) Silvia McGee, Coalition for the Homeless; Susan Dunn, Department of Employment Security; Janet Mandel, Belltown Employment Security Office.
House Committee - Testified Against: (Housing) None Presented.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.
House Committee - Testimony For: (Housing) Those who are homeless due to recent job loss or other economic tragedy would benefit from this program. The provision of services in a comprehensive manner would assist this group of the homeless in returning to the work place. Any reduction of the homeless population would allow use of limited resources to those with severe problems.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) Expressed support for concept of providing job training and shelter services.
House Committee - Testimony Against: (Housing) None Presented.
(Ways & Means/Appropriations) None Presented.