The supplemental operating budget passed by the Legislature uses $45.1 million from the coronavirus state fiscal recovery fund (CSFRF, the general federal relief that the Legislature has the most flexibility in using) for grants to move people living on state-owned rights-of-way to permanent housing (sec. 128(132)). Under the program, the Department of Commerce would make grants to local governments and nonprofits to provide outreach, housing, and transportation.

Grantees must enter into a memorandum of understanding with Commerce that includes measurable outcomes on the number of people living on the right-of-way, the type of engagement with them, the types of housing offered, the number of people accepting housing, the services and benefits in which people are enrolled, and the housing outcomes of people at six months and one year after placement.

Updates on those outcomes will have to be published every 60 days. Under the proviso, people may not be moved from rights-of-way unless they have been offered a safer housing option. A preliminary report from Commerce is due by Dec. 15, 2022, and a final report is due by Sept. 30, 2023, to include recommendations to improve transitions to permanent housing.

There are no appropriations for this purpose in 2021–23 from funds subject to the outlook (NGFO). However, the outlook assumes that $90.1 million will be appropriated for this purpose from the NGFO in 2023–25.

(Previous posts on the supplemental budget are here.)