Homelessness Likely to Rise under Governor's Budget

A decade ago, I was the primary author of the annual survey on hunger and homelessness published by the US Conference of Mayors. During the intervening years, there have been significant new efforts to reduce homelessness in America. Cities, counties, and states have adopted 10-year plans to significantly decrease or eliminate homelessness. There was wide agreement that we all need public supports and services that provide avenues to economic security.

Washington State has a statutory goal of reducing homelessness by 50% by 2015. As part of this 10-year plan the state has made significant investments towards that goal including doubling the size of the Housing Trust Fund and towards helping offenders that are being released from jails and prisons transition into the community without ending up homeless.

This plan (and the complementary plans of cities and counties across the state) are apparently not a priority now. That's the message one would infer from the budget that the Governor submitted. Half-way through our ten-year plans have we decided that the goal of ending homelessness is no longer of value?

After much progress, the Governor's budget undermines this goal by proposing cuts in mental health coverage for adults who don't qualify for Medicaid, reducing transitional housing funding for offenders reentering community settings, reducing the investment in the housing trust fund by 50%, and eliminating cash assistance and medical coupons to disabled adults who can't work.

Homelessness is already on the rise in cities across the nation. According to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a fall 2008 survey of 22 cities found 16 showed an increase in homeless families with children. In another national survey, one in five responding school districts reported having more homeless children in the fall of 2008 than over the course of the entire 2007-2008 school year.

Is this the future we want for our cities and hometowns here in Washington? Now more than ever, the state should invest in reducing homelessness through public supports and services that provide economic security and pathways out of poverty.