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Committee debates $14.5 million in HHS housing proposals; some members request removal
Summary
Members discussed several HHS housing proposals funded from the State Infrastructure Fund and Community Health Trust Fund, including $10 million in flexible housing assistance, $3.5 million eviction prevention and a $1 million home‑accessibility renovation program; some representatives asked staff to prepare amendments to remove those line items.
The committee reviewed multiple housing‑related proposals in the HHS budget that use State Infrastructure Fund (SIF) and Community Health Trust Fund dollars.
Jessica (HHS staff) described the intent: flexible housing assistance would be a last‑resort resource to help people who are in care coordination or case management stay housed, including home accessibility modifications. "The idea is that you'd have some flexible resources when you can't already, when you can't use, Medicaid dollars, money follows a person dollars, whatever other resource there might be available to make home modifications," Jessica said.
Committee members proposed several changes. Representative Wagner and Representative Steven asked to remove the $14.5 million package that staff earlier described as two pieces — a roughly $1 million rehabilitation item and a larger eviction prevention piece (discussed earlier by staff as $13,000,500 or $13,500,000 in different exchanges). Later in the session committee direction was recorded as a removal request for: $10,000,000 housing assistance for people at risk of housing instability (SIF), $3,500,000 eviction prevention (SIF), and $1,000,000 home renovation incentives for accessibility (SIF).
Jessica said environmental modification work already occurs in aging and adult services and developmental disability programs and that housing is a cross‑department need; she and other staff noted the number one barrier to transition and diversion from institutional settings is housing.
Ending: No vote taken. Staff will prepare amendment language to remove or modify the housing line items; members may revisit the lines in subsequent meetings or in conference committee.
