SENATE MEMORIAL 2

48th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2008

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald P. Ortiz y Pino

          FOR THE WELFARE REFORM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE HOUSING FIRST TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF HOMELESSNESS.

     WHEREAS, forty-two percent of New Mexico renters pay more than thirty percent of their income toward rent; and

     WHEREAS, twenty-one percent of New Mexico renters pay more than one-half of their income toward rent, leaving them vulnerable to homelessness if a crisis occurs; and

     WHEREAS, a housing first approach to avoiding and addressing homelessness has been found effective in reducing homelessness; and

     WHEREAS, a housing first approach gives immediate focus to finding permanent housing for homeless persons and then focuses on providing services that keep families from returning to the streets; and

     WHEREAS, a housing first approach recognizes that permanent, affordable housing is fundamental in resolving the homelessness crisis and that some persons need supportive services to stay in housing; and

     WHEREAS, the majority of individuals and families who participate in housing first programs maintain sobriety, attend work or school, successfully manage their budgets, permanently end relationships with abusers and keep their housing long-term; and

     WHEREAS, social services are more effective when people are living in their own housing, and investments in supportive services for vulnerable families and individuals are, therefore, more sustainable; and

     WHEREAS, a housing first approach is more cost-effective than letting people remain homeless, because people who have housing are less likely to use emergency rooms; psychiatric facilities; emergency shelters; and prisons, jails and other criminal justice agencies; and

     WHEREAS, effective discharge planning from institutions, including psychiatric hospitals, hospitals, foster care and correctional facilities, depends on an adequate supply of appropriate housing options in New Mexico communities; and

     WHEREAS, a housing first approach can lead to a cost savings of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) per person in some communities; and

     WHEREAS, an increase in investment in housing is associated with a decrease in incarceration rates; and

     WHEREAS, a significant percentage of people experiencing homelessness have been incarcerated; and

     WHEREAS, many hard-working families cannot afford to pay for housing and basic necessities, putting them at risk of homelessness due to rapidly rising land prices, slow wage growth, declining real wages and increasing construction costs; and

     WHEREAS, safe, decent and affordably priced housing provides a foundation for personal success in school and work and is, therefore, a prerequisite for the economic success of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, adopting a housing first approach in New Mexico requires a shift in resources from an emergency system that merely manages the problem of homelessness to a system that helps vulnerable people gain access to and maintain housing; and

     WHEREAS, the behavioral health purchasing collaborative will soon complete a supportive housing plan that will incorporate a housing first approach and that can serve as a basis for a broader housing first plan; and

     WHEREAS, coordinating existing resources and plans can help to shift the state's focus to a housing first approach;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that a housing first task force be created and charged with the development of a comprehensive housing first plan for the state of New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a housing first task force be chaired and convened by the secretary of children, youth and families and that it address ways state agencies may better target and coordinate existing resources and strategies and collaborate on strategic plans to support a housing first approach for all people in New Mexico who need housing; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the housing first plan include persons with disabilities and with addictions; persons discharged from prison or other institutions; and youth and low-income working families in its housing first focus; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the housing first task force identify specific goals and an implementation time line, identify responsible agencies and agents for each implementation goal and propose relevant action steps and performance measurements to evaluate progress for each goal; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the housing first task force be composed of representatives from the governor's and lieutenant governor's offices, the children, youth and families department, the human services department, the public education department, the aging and long-term services department, the corrections department, the New Mexico mortgage finance authority, the behavioral health purchasing collaborative, ValueOptions as the single entity for behavioral health services, the New Mexico coalition to end homelessness, the supportive housing coalition of New Mexico, the drug policy alliance, the women's justice project and three service providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the housing first task force present a comprehensive plan for implementing a housing first approach to homelessness to the interim welfare reform oversight committee by November 1, 2008; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of children, youth and families and to the secretary or director of each of the organizations named to participate in the task force.

- 5 -