AB 72

Under current law, the Department of Commerce (department) awards grants

to agencies and shelter facilities that provide temporary shelter for homeless

individuals and families. Grant proceeds may be used to supplement the operating

budgets of agencies and shelter facilities that have, or anticipate, a need for

additional funding because of the renovation or expansion of an existing shelter

facility, the development of an existing building into a shelter facility, the expansion

of shelter services for homeless persons, or an inability to obtain adequate funding

for an existing level of services. Current law requires the department to allocate in

each year at least $400,000 to eligible applicants located in Milwaukee County; at

least $66,500 to eligible applicants located in Dane County; and at least $100,000 to

eligible applicants not in Milwaukee County or Dane County.

This bill increases the general purpose revenuetax incremental appropriation

that funds temporary shelter grants in both fiscal years of the 2009-11 fiscal

biennium by $50,000. Under the bill, the department must allocate at least $116,500

in each year to eligible applicants in Dane County. Of that amount, the bill requires

the department to allocate not less than $50,000 in each year to eligible applicants

that provide temporary shelter for homeless individuals and families in the vicinity

of the state capitol.