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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Rodriguez

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-4-06

HB

SHORT TITLE SANTA FE HOMELESS SHELTER SERVICES

SB 385

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Human Services Department (HSD)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 385 appropriates $200 thousand from the general fund to the Local Government Di-

vision (LGD) of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) in FY07 to contract with

a nonprofit organization in Santa Fe that provides emergency shelter and food, a supportive liv-

ing program for homeless persons facing special challenges, a family transitional housing pro-

gram for homeless families with children and a senior transitional housing program to homeless

individuals and families in Santa Fe and surrounding communities.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY07 would revert to

the general fund.

HSD indicated current funding for statewide homeless shelter programs is $750,000 from the

general fund, which is made available to the Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) through a Joint

Senate Bill 385 – Page 2

Powers Agreement (JPA). SB385 provides for an additional $200,000 to expand access to pro-

grams and services specific to the Santa Fe area.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DFA indicated these funds will support St. Elizabeth's Homeless Shelter in Santa Fe for:

1. $130,000 for salaries and benefits for the executive director, business manager and director of

outreach and community relations.

2. $64,000 for salaries and benefits for two case managers.

3. $6,000 for miscellaneous office supplies.

DFA added that, at the present, there are no homeless shelters in Los Alamos, Espanola, Las Ve-

gas or Taos. St. Elizabeth's shelter provides homeless services for Santa Fe and Northern New

Mexico. In previous years the shelter has sought donations from private and public contributors

for operational costs. Little or no money has been contributed by City of Santa Fe or the county.

CYFD explained there are approximately 1,000 homeless individuals in Santa Fe who need

housing and support services each year. In 2004, there were at least 142 individuals and fami-

lies who were not served because of the lack of resources available in Santa Fe. If these families

do not receive the required housing and support services, they often enter the protective services

system. There are many factors that lead to becoming homeless such as the lack of affordable

housing, low-paying jobs, substance abuse, mental illness and poverty. These same factors often

lead families into Child Protective Services at CYFD. National data indicate that families consti-

tute about one-third of all homeless and are the fastest growing group of homeless. A significant

number of families referred to our system are faced with a lack of housing stability; therefore, it

is imperative that CYFD have the necessary resources to partner with local community programs

to ensure that families receive everything they need to stay intact.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

No administrative concerns were identified.

DH/mt