AB 508

Housing stability

Under current law, the Department of Administration provides housing grants

to counties, municipalities, community action agencies, and private organizations

for the purpose of providing housing and associated supportive services to homeless

individuals and families in order to facilitate the movement of homeless persons to

independent living. This bill provides an additional $1,800,000 in the 2019-21 fiscal

biennium to fund that grant program.

This bill increases funding for DOA to award grants for the purpose of

supplementing the operating budgets of agencies and shelter facilities related to

providing shelter to the homeless. The bill provides an additional $700,000 in each

fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

This bill also increases funding for DOA to award grants to persons or families

of low or moderate income to defray housing costs. The bill provides an additional

$220,000 in each fiscal year of the 2019-21 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

This bill requires the Interagency Council on Homelessness to do all of the

following every two years:

1. Review all of the state's housing and homelessness-related programs.

2. Identify ways in which DOA and other state agencies specified in the bill and

the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority can increase access to

services for homeless individuals and families, including homeless children and

youths as defined under federal law.

3. Advise each of the state agencies specified in the bill and WHEDA to revise

any policy or practice that the council determines impedes homeless individuals and

families from obtaining services.

This bill requires WHEDA to issue up to $1,000,000 in bonds to make grants

directly to individuals and families or to one or more local housing authorities for the

purpose of providing rent assistance to individuals and families who are in danger

of being evicted.

This bill requires the Department of Public Instruction to annually issue a

report to the legislature on the number of homeless children and youths in the public

schools of this state. Under the bill, “homeless children and youths” is defined by

reference to federal law providing homeless assistance.

This bill requires WHEDA to annually issue a report to the legislature on the

number of households with worst case housing needs in this state. “Households with

worst case housing needs” is defined in a manner consistent with that used by the

federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The report must include

data and demographic information on these households, analysis of the impediments

to obtaining affordable housing, and recommendations on how to improve state and

local programs to assist these households with their housing needs.

This bill creates a two-year pilot program that gives priority to homeless