A response to HB 713

Mariel Risner Sivley, Executive Director, Georgia Supportive Housing Association

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the danger of significant increases in homelessness in our state, we are seeing positive movement to expand affordable housing and access to supportive housing. The top news story last week on WABE is an example: the success of Atlanta’s Partners for HOME in housing vulnerable homeless individuals. They have closed eight encampments in Atlanta since November and sheltered 256 individuals, permanently creating 450 homes in the last three months. This success is the result of applying evidence-based practices, solid leadership, partnership between stakeholders with the shared goal of housing the homeless and keeping them housed and out of (expensive) crisis services, and an infusion of federal covid related funds paired with philanthropic funds.

Under Georgia’s Gold Dome, efforts to address Georgia’s potential looming eviction crisis and other initiatives have largely foundered. Enter HB 713. This is a bill that did not move forward to meet the crossover deadline, but remains a threat for passage this year. HB 713 is deeply concerning. It aims to remove homeless persons from the street and homeless encampments and move them into parking lots for homeless people with cars, state sanctioned campsites for others, and community cabins for stays up to six months. It proposes to fund these unproven initiatives by diverting our too-limited state and federal funds away from emergency shelter, services to homeless people, and supportive housing. It pressures local jurisdictions to enforce constitutionally suspect criminal laws against public sleeping and camping or risk losing funding. By diverting funds and not comporting with HUD priorities, it risks the loss of over $25 million annually in federal dollars from HUD.

At its essence, HB 713 reverses housing goals to end homelessness. Instead, it prioritizes temporary solutions that are not evidence-based and focuses on increased criminal action against homelessness, thus increasing the costs of arrest, criminal prosecution, incarceration, and the detriment to the homeless individual that results. People living in their cars or staying in a sanctioned camp are still homeless and subject to the elements, thus still facing the same rate of mortality – 17 years less than their housed counterparts. And, there is no data provided to evidence a reduction in homelessness.

Supportive housing is a proven best practice to help people leave homelessness. Supportive housing is affordable housing that also provides services to vulnerable people, in order for them to stay housed. People served by supportive housing include individuals who are homeless, have physical and developmental disabilities, seniors, are exiting jails and prisons, are in recovery, are youth exiting foster care, fleeing domestic violence, and others in need of financial stability. Quality supportive housing exists throughout the state.

We know the devastating impact HB 713 would have on Georgia. Instead of pursuing this effort, I invite the Georgia General Assembly to work with stakeholders to create more affordable housing options, revise restrictive zoning laws, create new funding streams for affordable housing and needed supports, and increase access and funding for behavioral healthcare services and substance abuse treatment services across the state, the proven path to reduce and end homelessness in our state.

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The Georgia Supportive Housing Association is a nonprofit membership network of housing developers, service providers, statewide agencies and organizations, corporations, associations and individuals with a shared goal: strengthening housing resources in our state. The GSHA seeks to advance the creation and preservation of quality supportive housing in Georgia and ensure sufficient resources for this effort through education and advocacy.

Learn more about Georgia Supportive Housing Association here.