NEW: Lawmakers Call for More Funding for the Homeless
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Rhode Island’s homeless represent the diversity of the state – they are children and elderly, families and individuals, the working poor. They come from cities and towns and from every community in the state.
Over the past few years, Rhode Island has seen the highest levels of homeless in the state’s history –increases in monthly shelter use, regularly filling shelters to the maximum; social agencies strained by shrinking budgets and growing numbers of those in need.
A lack of adequate income and a lack of affordable housing are the top two reasons people become homeless in Rhode Island.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“Housing is simply unaffordable for many Rhode Islanders,” said Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence). “In Rhode Island, there is an enormous gap between what many people earn and the cost to rent a place to live.”
In the middle of the last decade, the General Assembly approved a budget item of $7.5 million for the Neighborhood Opportunities Program. At the time, in support of that funding level, leadership in the House said that “the need for affordable housing has never been greater in our state, and the Neighborhood Opportunities Program is one of the primary sources of funds for the non-profit groups that work hard to provide housing to those who would otherwise be left out in the cold.”
Since that time, the Neighborhood Opportunities Program (NOP) has been funded at $1.5 million per year.
“We are spending less, but not because things have gotten better,” said Sen. John J. Tassoni Jr. (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, North Smithfield). “In fact, they have gotten worse, and more and more Rhode Islanders are living on the street, and more and more Rhode Islanders cannot find clean, safe, affordable housing.”
The two legislators said that the fund allocated to the program the last few years have been insufficient to ensure that the program can continue to help build enough affordable housing units to fill the need. As a result, they said, it is time to infuse this program with more funds so that more people can be helped. And with the economy the way it is, and with unemployment as high as it is, “we know there are more people who need help,” they said.
Representative Slater and Senator Tassoni have introduced legislation, 2012-H 7265 and 2012-S 2203, that would provide $12.5 million in funding for the NOP in the next fiscal year. Those funds, under the legislation, would be disbursed by the NOP to support three housing components:
- The family affordable housing program, which is responsible for producing additional housing units at rents affordable to families work at or near minimum wage;
- The permanent supportive housing program, which produces additional housing units for disabled individuals coupled with services and case management to stabilize homeless individuals in permanent housing at affordable rents, and,
- The neighborhood revitalization program, which provides grants to local communities for home ownership opportunities in neighborhoods designated for revitalization.
The bills also call for a bond issue to be placed on the November election ballot, seeking $75 million to provide funds to the Housing Resources Commission to be allocated to finance the Neighborhood Opportunities Program.
“Providing an adequate, stable supply of affordable housing is the solution to ending homelessness,” said Representative Slater. “Affordable rentals allow low-income individuals and families to stay in their homes and provide a means for the homeless to get off the streets and out of shelters into safe, clean, permanent housing.”
“Rhode Island is one of a small number of states without a dedicated funding stream for affordable housing,” said Senator Tassoni. “It’s time we make a serious, concerted effort to guarantee this basic need to our citizens. Yes, fixing homelessness will cost money. But not fixing it will have a costlier, more detrimental affect on our state.”
The Slater bill has been referred to the House Committee on Finance. It is co-sponsored by Rep. Grace Diaz (D-Dist. 11, Providence) and Rep. Teresa Tanzi (D-Dist. 34, Narragansett, South Kingstown).
The Tassoni bill is before the Senate Committee on Finance. It is co-sponsored by Sen. Christopher Scott Ottiano (R-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol), Sen. Harold M. Metts (D-Dist. 6, Providence) and Sen. Nicholas D. Kettle (R-Dist. 21, Coventry, Foster, Scituate).
Senator Tassoni was also the prime sponsor in the Senate of legislation that placed a $50 million bond issue before voters in 2006 to fund affordable housing. That measure was resoundingly approved by voters.
