The 77th legislature continues to plug away, passing and killing legislation, and with the Census 2000 numbers in, the debate over redistricting will begin to dominate the rest of the session; however, several big issues in the legislature this session have the potential to affect homeless and extremely low income people in Texas. It’s true that most of these bills are intended to expand eligibility, and several bills deal with welfare reform and access to benefits, but there is a minority group of legislators that take a more punitive approach.

For example, some want Texas to move to full family sanctions rather than the partial family sanctions instituted when Texas passed the Welfare Reform bill in 1995. Imposing full family sanctions serves the purpose of punishing a whole family, including innocent children, for the actions of one person. Supporters of this system cite the successes of other states in lowering their welfare roles, but this does not include people who have gone off of welfare and are homeless or at great risk of homelessness.

Fortunately, there is not great interest in further restricting access to benefits like Temporary Assistance To Needy Families (TANF) Food Stamps and Medicaid, so it is unlikely that that any legislation calling for full family sanctions will pass. In fact, strong efforts have been made to streamline the Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in order to create easier accessibility. In addition, in response to the recognition that CHIP enrollment is low, efforts are being made to market the program.

Better yet, the legislature appears to be taking a greater interest in the growing problem of homelessness in Texas, as evident by 3 bills introduced that deal specifically with homelessness. The most expansive and important of these bills are HB 3450 (Gallego-West Texas) and its partner SB 319( Lucio-Brownsville). HB 3450 is based on the Sunset Commission’s recommendations for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), and entails the continuing functions of the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless.

This council, mandated by the legislature in 1989 as a response to homelessness in the state, is composed of state agencies, service providers, a representative to the governor, a lieutenant governor and a member of The House. TDHCA has served as the council’s lead agency since its inception and will continue to do so, but a noteworthy change called for in this legislation is that the council would take on an advisory role to TDHCA.

For the past 11 years, the council has succeeded in addressing all but one mandate despite limited resources. HB 3450/SB 319 recognizes that the council must be strengthened in order for Texas to be successful in developing a comprehensive approach to combating homelessness. The bill passed out of the Urban Affairs committee on March 28th. It is set to be heard on the House floor and will likely pass.

HB 854, sponsored by Harold Dutton Jr. of Houston, calls for creation of a interagency hunger and homelessness workgroup. Although this bill duplicates the duties of the current Council, there are some positive aspects. It includes the Department of Agriculture as a member agency, thereby strengthening the hunger aspect, and the need for a comprehensive approach to this issue. The fact that Food Stamp enrollment in Texas has steadily declined over the past five years in spite of an increase in poverty rates indicates the need for such an approach. The recommendation of THN is to incorporate these aspects of this bill into the duties of the Council.

To date, HB 854 is pending in committee and is likely to die. Although it may appear a negative that a homeless bill is not passing, it would only serve to create a council that already exists. Homeless service providers in the Houston area should note that there is a representative listening to your concerns. Send a letter or make a quick phone call thanking Rep. Dutton, but also let him know your experiences and needs.

HB 2326, introduced by freshman Rep. Ann Kitchen of Austin, calls for the creation of a case management pilot program addressing the needs of chronically ill homeless persons. The Council is called upon to administer the program in cooperation with relative state agencies. This bill is also another positive step in recognizing and addressing the largest sub-population within the homeless community, persons suffering from debilitating physical or mental illness. Unfortunately, the bill does not address the fiscal impact of such a program. Furthermore, for the Council to administer such a program, it must be given more resources and a more feasible timeline for implementation. This bill was also left pending in committee, and will likely die as well. Watch for a bill like this in 2003.

There are people in the Texas Legislature who are concerned about homelessness in this state. Call or write first thanking them for their dedication to this cause, but also let them know your experiences, your struggles as a service provider and barriers to assisting the homeless population.

For more information on issues dealing with the effects of welfare reform on Texas families, log onto the Center For Public Policy Priorities website at www.cppp.org. For more information on these bills or to find out who represents you, log onto the Texas Legislature Online at www.capitol.state.tx.us.