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

SPONSOR Ruiz

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/06

HB 119

SHORT TITLE

STATEWIDE HOMELESS PROGRAMS &

SERVICES

SB

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$500.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 117

Relates to Appropriation in the General Appropriation Act

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DoH)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 119 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund to the Human Services

Department for the purpose of expanding access to programs and services for homeless persons.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

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

general fund.

House Bill 119 – Page 2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

According to The University of New Mexico Homelessness Awareness and Advocacy Group

about 35% of Albuquerque's homeless are chronically mentally ill or mentally incapacitated.

According to some estimates, between 25 to 75 percent of the homeless have substance abuse

issues. They comprise the most obvious segment of the homeless to the general public. Yet, a

substantial portion of the homeless (30%) are women and children. Families are the fastest

growing sub-group of homeless people in Albuquerque, following the larger national trend.

At least 35% work part- or full-time.

The Department of Health contributes:

The Behavioral Health Services Division’s (BHSD) Projects Assisting Transitions from

Homelessness (PATH) program data from FY 2005 indicates that approximately 73% consumers

served had a co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorder. (BHSD 2005 PATH

data). As part of the National Homeless Policy Academy, the New Mexico team identified 3 key

elements in ending homelessness for consumers: adequate income, affordable housing and access

to appropriate services.

A report by a Department of Health task force on chronic homelessness to the Health and Human

Services Legislative Committee identified factors impacting a person’s risk for homelessness,

which included lack of access to affordable housing, lack of access to affordable health care, lack

of community supports. (SJM 52 & HJM 82 Task Force on Homelessness, NM Department of

Health, 2003.

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