Appropriations panel reviews language to extend GA emergency housing protections through fiscal year

The House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 31 reviewed draft Budget Adjustment Act language that would extend the cold-weather exemption for General Assistance (GA) emergency housing through the end of the fiscal year and remove a scheduled room cap that would have taken effect in spring.

The change would move the cold-weather period from Dec. 1–March 31 to Dec. 1–June 30 and specify that “emergency housing in a hotel and motel provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not count towards the maximum days of eligibility for the 12 month period,” language that pauses the program’s existing 80-day cap during the extended period, committee staff said.

Why it matters: Extending the exemption would prevent households from accumulating days toward the 80-day annual maximum while the exemption is in force and would remove a legislated cap of 1,100 motel/hotel rooms that otherwise would have limited placements in spring. Committee members pressed staff on how those changes interact with available funds and the actual number of rooms in the state.

Details from the committee: Katie, of the Office of Legislative Council, walked…