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Committee gives do-pass recommendation to homelessness-prevention bill, funding left to appropriators
Summary
The State Planning & Community Affairs committee issued a do-pass recommendation for House Bill 689, which would create a state homelessness-prevention grant program run by DCA; members emphasized the bill creates the mechanism only and any funding would require a separate appropriation.
Chairman Carpenter introduced House Bill 689 on March 3, saying the measure would "establish a homelessness prevention program under the direction of DCA" to preserve and extend rental-assistance work done with federal ARPA dollars. He told the committee that the ARPA rental-assistance funds currently used to prevent evictions are scheduled to expire in September, leaving no continuing state mechanism without new legislation and an appropriation.
Carpenter said the bill would distribute state grants to local organizations, rely on local matching or contributions from private and governmental sources, and aim for geographic distribution so no single area would receive the majority of funds. "Emergency rental assistance has helped over 61,000 people remain in their homes between the years of '21 and '23," he said, arguing that early intervention is more efficient than addressing homelessness after the fact.
Members pressed for details about cost and eligibility. Carpenter clarified the bill creates only the administrative mechanism; it carries no fiscal note because any spending would come through the appropriation process. On eligibility he said the program is intended as eviction-prevention: "So, actually, as it sits right now, this would be an eviction type, assistance program," meaning people already experiencing homelessness would not be the program's intended recipients. Committee members suggested modest pilot funding (examples discussed included $500,000 to $1,000,000) rather than a large, up-front allocation.
After discussion, a member moved a do-pass recommendation and the committee took a voice vote. The chair called for 'aye' and, hearing no opposition, the committee recorded a do-pass recommendation to move the bill forward; specific vote counts were not provided in the record. Next steps are for appropriators to consider whether to provide funding and for the usual legislative process to continue.
