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Governor Perdue Forms Homeless Council
| Wednesday, February 11, 2004 |
Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774
|
Atlanta - Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the formation of the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council (Council). The Council will oversee state efforts to address chronic homelessness and review proposed recommendations on how best to solve the problem. Governor Perdue was joined by Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty and Department of Human Resources Acting Commissioner Maria Greene.
"Ending chronic homelessness is a noble and worthy goal for Georgia," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "I am confident that the Georgia Interagency Homeless Council will produce a sound plan for reaching this goal."
Those deemed chronically homeless form a small percentage of the overall homeless population. These individuals typically suffer from physical and mental illness, alcoholism, and drug addictions. They tend to be homeless for an extended period of time, housed only by short confinements in public hospitals, jails, and mental health institutions. It is estimated that 1,600 chronically homeless individuals live in Georgia.
In September 2001, the State of Georgia applied and was selected to participate in the nation's first Homeless Policy Academy. The state's Homeless Policy Team has presented the State of Georgia Action Plan to End Homelessness in Ten Years (Action Plan) to the Office of the Governor for consideration. The Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) will work jointly with the Council to conduct a cost / benefit analysis of the current supportive housing programs in Georgia. OPB also will prepare a projection of the overall costs and benefits of implementing the Action Plan.
The Bush Administration, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has reactivated the Interagency Council on Homelessness and recently announced $35 million in new federal dollars to provide supportive housing and critical services to states working with homeless policy academies. The Council will work to leverage some of these federal dollars to help address Georgia's chronic homelessness efforts.
Text of the Executive Order
| Whereas: | On September 11, 2001 the State of Georgia did apply to participate in the nation's first Homeless Policy Academy to address the needs of the homeless through an initiative to improve access to mainstream services for persons who are homeless; and |
| Whereas: | The State of Georgia was selected to participate in the Homeless Policy Academy and was represented by a cross discipline team of state officials and nonprofit homeless service providers and charged with the responsibility to develop a State of Georgia Action Plan to End Homelessness in Ten Years; and |
| Whereas: | The State of Georgia Homeless Policy Team has completed the work of the Homeless Policy Academy and has presented the State of Georgia Action Plan to End Homelessness in Ten Years to the Office of the Governor for consideration; |
Now therefore, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Georgia, it is hereby
| Ordered: | That the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council be co-chaired by the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Community Affairs and be composed of representatives from the various state departments and other homeless coordination service agencies. |
IT IS FURTHER
| Ordered: | That the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council be directed to complete the following tasks by August 31, 2004: |
- That the Council should pursue available federal funding to support the implementation of the Georgia Action Plan
- That the Office of Planning and Budget shall have access to all necessary program information and reports to conduct the cost / benefit analysis of the current supportive housing programs in Georgia.
- That the Council review and recommend measures to improve state administered Mainstream Service Programs (Medicaid, TANF, SSI, CHIP, Workforce Investment Act, Food Stamps and Veteran's Health Care and Benefits) for homeless individuals and families.
- That the Council review and recommend measures to establish State policies that assure appropriate housing and community treatment for individuals with disabilities discharged from institutional settings.
- That the Council review the State of Georgia Homeless Action Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in 10 Years and present recommendations on the implementation strategy.
IT IS FURTHER
| Ordered: | That the Office of Planning and Budget work jointly with the Council to conduct a cost / benefit analysis of the current supportive housing programs in Georgia and prepare a projection of the overall costs and benefits of implementing the Georgia Action Plan to End Homelessness in Ten Years. |
IT IS FURTHER
| Ordered: | That the Commissioner's of DHR, DCA and DCH be directed reconvene the members of the Georgia Homeless Policy Team by September 30, 2004 to review the results of the cost / benefit analysis conducted by the Office of Planning and Budget and the actions of the Georgia Interagency Homeless Coordination Council. |
This 11th day of February, 2004
(Signed: Sonny Perdue)
GOVERNOR