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

SPONSOR Ortiz y Pino

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/12/07

HB

SHORT TITLE

BERNALILLO COUNTY TRANSITIONAL

HOUSING

SB 982

ANALYST Propst

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$200.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates HB 1039

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 982 appropriates $200.0 from the General Fund to the Local Government Division of

the Department of Finance and Administration to operate a transitional housing program for

substance-dependent and homeless people in Bernalillo County.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $200.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the General Fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY08 shall revert to the

General Fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DFA reports that the transitional housing program in Bernalillo County is designed to assist the

substance dependent and homeless and to free up emergency room beds for true emergency room

care. The program works in collaboration with the Metropolitan Assessment and Treatment

Senate Bill 982 – Page

2

Services (MATS) facility which is located across the street from this non-profit location. The

two programs are forming a social services arena that will reduce substance-dependence and will

secondarily reduce Albuquerque's homeless population. By helping individuals to become sober

and then helping them to attain stable housing and employment, many more of Albuquerque's

citizens will become healthier contributing members of the community at large. As a by-product,

each hospital emergency department in Albuquerque should be decompressed and the general

public should receive more prompt emergency room care.

The program currently operates a community center building that offers programs such as AA

and NA meetings, exercise classes and other social services designed to support and sustain the

sobriety of the MATS graduates.

Funding from foundations and private donors have allowed for the construction of the

transitional housing project to begin. There will be 20 transitional housing units available for

homeless while they gain the knowledge and the skills needed to obtain employment and the

ability to secure stable housing in the community.

The purpose of this legislative funding is to sustain current programs and to develop future

transitional housing initiative by allowing for a paid staff of four and to secure the costs of

insurance and utilities to operate the facility.

(Source: Endorphin Power Company, Dr. Sam Slishman, CEO).

DUPLICATION

Duplicates HB 1039

WEP/nt