SB 557

Housing, homelessness, and indigence

1. Grants to facilitate the independent living of homeless persons

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 $5,000,000 in the 2023-25 fiscal

biennium to fund that grant program.

2. Emergency rental assistance grants

The bill creates an emergency rental assistance program under which DOA

awards grants to provide tenant-based rental assistance to individuals and families

who have suffered an economic hardship and whose annual household income does

not exceed 80 percent of the median household income for the county in which the

individual or family resides. The bill appropriates $10,000,000 for the program in

the 2023-25 fiscal biennium.

3. Grants to defray housing costs

The bill 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 2023-25 fiscal biennium for that purpose.

4. Duties of the Interagency Council on Homelessness

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

following every two years:

1. 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.

2. 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.

5. Report concerning homeless children and youth

The 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.

6. Report concerning households with worst case housing needs

The 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