[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 39 (Thursday, April 7, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E583]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SERVICES FOR ENDING LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 6, 2005

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to join my colleague 
Representative Deborah Pryce in introducing the Services for Ending 
Long-Term Homelessness Act (SELHA). This legislation establishes a 
grant program that would be administered by the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration for services related to housing 
for people who have experienced chronic homelessness and who also have 
disabling health conditions such as mental illness.
  The Department of Health and Human Services currently operates grant 
programs for homeless individuals but none of them are specifically 
focused on services such as mental health services, substance abuse 
treatment, health education, money management, parental skills 
training, and general health care, coordinated with permanent 
supportive housing.
  Chronically homeless individuals need more than housing. In order to 
truly help, the federal government needs to provide grants that will 
enable communities to coordinate and deliver health care-related 
services to these individuals. Without these services, it will continue 
to be very hard to end the root causes of chronic homelessness.
  SELHA specifically: Establishes a grant program for services in 
supportive housing within the Department of Health and Human Services 
(RRS) and administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA);
  Defines ``chronically homeless'' as an individual or family who is 
currently homeless, has been homeless continuously for at least one 
year or has been homeless on at least four separate occasions in the 
last three years, and has a head of household with a disabling 
condition.
  Make states, cities, public, or nonprofit entities eligible to apply 
for the grants.
  Gives priority to applicants that target funds to individuals or 
families that are homeless for longer than one year, frequently use the 
ER, or interact regularly with law enforcement.
  Funds services including mental health services, substance abuse 
treatment, referrals for primary health care and dental services, 
health education, money management, and parental skills training.
  Requires initial grant awardees to provide $1 for every $3 of federal 
money.
  Requires renewal grant awardees to provide $1 for every $1 of federal 
money.
  Permits 20 percent of the grant awardees' matching funds to come from 
other federal grants such as the Community Mental Health Services Block 
Grant. This provision will encourage collaboration with existing 
programs and access for homeless people to existing mainstream health 
and human services systems, while assisting the grant awardees in 
achieving their match.
  Establishes initial grant terms of 3-5 years and renewal grant terms 
of up to 5 years. (To encourage long-term program success and stability 
for permanent supportive housing projects and formerly homeless 
tenants, renewal grant awardees only compete against each other and 
have priority status for additional funding.)
  Chronic homelessness is a dreadful but solvable problem. In my 
District, the most recent one-day survey (February 27, 2004) in Santa 
Clara County identified over 7,000 homeless individuals, with over 
1,000 defined as chronic. In San Mateo County, over 1,730 individuals 
are homeless, with approximately 650 defined as chronic.
  Chronic homelessness is very costly to emergency rooms, psychiatric 
hospitals, VA hospitals and the criminal justice system. This 
legislation will provide more resources to reduce these costly 
expenditures, while simultaneously permitting individuals with complex 
health needs to be housed and begin their journey to a productive life.
  I urge all my colleagues in the House to support this legislation.

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