January 14, 2004

ROMNEY BOOSTS FUNDING FOR HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN '05 BUDGET

With temperatures dropping to dangerously unhealthy levels, Governor Mitt Romney today announced that his proposed budget for the next fiscal year increases funding for assistance to the homeless.

Romney made the announcement as he joined volunteers from Bridge Over Troubled Waters in canvassing the city of Boston to identify and transport homeless people into shelters to protect against the bitter cold.

"It's dangerous for people to be exposed to these frigid temperatures for any length of time," Romney said. "We have increased the number of emergency shelter beds and also significantly increased the staffing of our homeless outreach teams, which are working to get people off the streets."

He added, "I plan to do everything I can to get the homeless into warm shelters. No one will be turned away."

The Governor's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 will increase funding for homeless programs by $3 million, to $136.4 million.

The additional $3 million will be directed into specialized housing for the mentally ill, where it will leverage three times that amount in federal funds. Once discharged from mental health inpatient units, these clients need help in finding apartments and paying rent while continuing to receive services from the Department of Mental Health.

Also, one of the Governor's key budget recommendations will be the creation of a "shelter-to-housing" pilot program. The program will provide transitional housing assistance that will allow families to enter housing on a time-limited basis while awaiting permanent housing subsidies.

Focusing homeless assistance on securing permanent housing was one of the most important recommendations from the Governor's Commission on Housing and Homelessness, which issued its report late last year.

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