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SPONSOR: |
Cordova |
DATE TYPED: |
|
HB |
381 |
||
SHORT TITLE: |
Statewide Homeless Programs |
SB |
|
||||
|
ANALYST: |
Weber |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
$1,000.0 |
|
|
|
Recurring |
General
Fund |
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Duplicate SB 208
Responses
Received From
Human
Services Department
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
House Bill 381
appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to the Human Services Department
for use in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 for the purpose of activities relating to
assisting the homeless.
The appropriation is
distributed for the following.
· $250,000 would be used for prevention activities, including therapeutic child care for homeless children and rent assistance to those on the verge of becoming homeless.
The bill contains an
emergency clause.
Significant
Issues
The Human Services Department reports that for the past several years HSD has received an appropriation of state funds for homeless programs. Part of that appropriation has stayed within HSD to be used for providing meals to homeless individuals and families and the other part has been transferred to the Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) and used for homeless shelter programs. Given the nature of the services and programs prescribed by this legislation, it is presumed that HSD would likely transfer most or all of the funds to MFA.
MFA receives the Emergency Shelter Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant requires a one-to-one match of state funds or in-kind contributions. The federal regulations for this grant dictate that shelter is short-term and that supportive services be rendered during the period that the homeless individuals are in the shelter placement. MFA also receives several other federal grants and administers programs that provide intensive case management, information and referral services, tenant-based rental assistance, and prevention services to homeless individuals and families and those on the verge of becoming homeless.
In August of 2002, HSD entered into a new Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) that allows for amendments in case of funds appropriated for the same purpose in future Legislative sessions. If this bill is enacted, the funds would be available for immediate expenditure, and it would be recommended that an amendment to the JPA be made a priority.
A bill similar to HB 381 was passed during last year’s session, although the dollar amount was reduced to $200,000 and was appropriated under the General Appropriations Act to the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) rather than HSD.
If the appropriation flowed through HSD to the MFA, HSD
would want to include performance measures in the agreement. The current agreement includes performance
measures related to numbers of individuals receiving services and their
outcomes.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$1,000.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2004
shall revert to the General Fund. HB 381
contains an emergency clause making the funds available in fiscal year 2003.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
HSD
reports the administrative implications should be minimal. HSD already has a relationship with MFA and
has had a JPA in place with them for five years. Any additional appropriation
that HSD received could be worked into the existing structure with minimal
additional effort.
Past
appropriations for homeless programs have gone to both HSD and DFA. For ease of monitoring and to reduce
administrative burden to MFA, it is preferable that all homeless program
appropriations go to one agency. Given
HSD’s involvement in the provision of meals to homeless shelters and our
relationship with MFA, HSD is the appropriate agency to receive this appropriation.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
According to MFA, there
is significant un-met need in the area of homelessness in