Washington Week . Student Voices

Bill aims at ending homelessness over next 10 years
By Nathan Smith
The California Aggie (U. California-Davis)
05/21/2004

(U-WIRE) DAVIS, Calif. — A new piece of legislation — aimed at helping local communities end homelessness — is currently working its way through Washington, D.C. Local officials said the legislation could have a positive impact on Davis, Calif.'s homeless population.

On Mar. 30, the Bush administration introduced the Samaritan Initiative — a bill designed to help local communities end "chronic homelessness" over the next 10 years by creating permanent housing with supportive services through local grants.

If approved, the bill would include $70 million in new funding for the 2005 fiscal year.

Bill Pride, executive director of Davis Community Meals, a program dedicated to aiding homeless and low-income individuals and families, said he believes the city needs the funding this bill could provide.

Currently, the homeless population in Davis numbers approximately 120 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The legislation would create a new branch under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 by providing housing, health care, substance abuse treatment and other support services to the "chronically homeless" through a competitive grant program.

The Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Humans Services and Veteran Affairs would collectively administer the funding to eligible local communities. By consolidating the application process, the bill will allow communities to use one application to apply to all three departments simultaneously. The initial term of each grant would be three years, with the option for renewal grants.

Pride said there is not enough local funding to provide shelters for the homeless in Davis, resulting in a growing number of people being left on the street.

"Absolutely, we need this," Pride said. "[Davis] has applied to the HUD, HHS and VA before and failed to receive grants."

Mark Oliver said he has been homeless for several years and receives little aid from local institutions.

"Homeless shelters can't take me in," he said. "More needs to be done in Davis for people who are homeless."

Davis City Councilmember Ted Puntillo recognizes the growing hardships within Davis' homeless community and said he would support the bill if it passed.

"It is a basic human right to have a roof over our heads," he said. "We owe it to our citizens to get them out of the weather."

Puntillo said the money this new bill could bring would help the city's homeless problem immensely and hopes it will pass.

"We need to expand," Puntillo said.

In a March 30 press release state Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), who authored the bill, spoke about the objectives of the legislation.

"Communities need to have the resources available to provide bundled services while simultaneously providing secure and adequate housing to better assist the `chronically homeless'," he said.

Renzi also stated how the approximately 150,000 "chronically homeless" people in America consume over half of the homeless recourses because their needs are not adequately met. This bill would try to get the homeless off the street and into permanent and supportive housing.

Currently, the bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. It would have to be passed by both the House and the Senate and signed by the President before becoming a law.

The House of Representatives has indicated that it intends to give consideration to the bill this year.

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