Senate Health & Welfare reviews bill to shift emergency housing administration to community action agencies

An unnamed senator on the Senate Health & Welfare Committee led a review of draft legislation that would create a statewide emergency housing program administered through community action agencies, focusing attention on staffing, funding and accountability.

Committee staff said the bill would replace existing emergency housing provision channels and direct funds previously used for those programs into a new statewide program. “What happens if we don't do this? If we don't do the bill … we'll keep spending $30,000,000 a year on hotel and hotel program,” said an unnamed senator, quoting figures discussed in the session.

The legislation the committee examined defines four components for the new program: supportive services, extreme-weather shelters, temporary shelters and transitional shelters, and a separate component for households experiencing domestic violence. Committee staff explained that the program would rely on coordinated entry and require community action agencies to operate or cause operation of those services in collaboration with local partners…