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An Act Regarding Veteran Homelessness
 
CONCEPT DRAFT SUMMARY
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
This bill proposes to address veteran homelessness in this State in a comprehensive and collaborative manner by implementing strategies recommended in the "Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Veteran Homelessness" prepared by the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services.
1. The bill would create a subcommittee of the Statewide Homeless Council, referred to in this bill as "the subcommittee," to share information among all organizations working to prevent and address veteran homelessness.
A. The subcommittee consists of the following members:
(1) The members of the Maine Homeless Veterans Action Committee;
(2) A representative of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services, who is the chair;
(3) A representative of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, who is the vice-chair;
(4) A veteran who advocates on behalf of homeless veterans;
(5) The justice action coordinator from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
(6) A representative of a community action program;
(7) A representative of the Veterans Justice Outreach Program of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
(8) A representative of the Maine Department of Labor;
(9) A representative of the Maine Apartment Owners and Managers Association;
(10) An employment specialist from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
(11) A representative of Shelter Plus Care or the Bridging Rental Assistance Program at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services;
(12) A member of the Statewide Homeless Council; and
(13) Other representatives of organizations that provide services to homeless veterans.
B. The following are the duties of the subcommittee:
(1) Manage the list by name of homeless veterans through regular review and updating and conferencing to coordinate the deployment of resources;
(2) Add the name of a homeless veteran to the list at the request of an agency or concerned citizen;
(3) Provide training on best referral practices to other agencies and organizations; and
(4) Report annually to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over veterans matters.
2. The bill would encourage the execution of memoranda of understanding between state agencies that provide services to veterans, including the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Labor, to foster the improvement of communication between these agencies and the improvement of the sharing of data among providers of services to veterans.
3. The bill would provide funding for the establishment of an Assistant Coordinator of Homeless Veterans Services in the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services. This position:
A. Reports to, staffs and coordinates the activities of the subcommittee;
B. Works with agencies and organizations to coordinate service delivery, data collection and data analysis and reporting; and
C. Administers the Landlord Assistance Fund, to be established in the bill.
4. The bill would provide funding for enhancements to technology, including the development of uniform reporting standards and improved data collection.
5. The bill would provide grants for a statewide system of veteran homelessness prevention. Grants must be approved by the subcommittee and administered by the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services.
6. The bill would provide training on best practices for referring a homeless veteran to law enforcement, hospital staff or helpline staff accessed by dialing 2-1-1. The subcommittee would administer this training.
7. The bill would add capacity to the 2-1-1 system to help homeless veterans and encourage people to use the 2-1-1 system to report a veteran in distress.
8. The bill would seek to find long-term solutions to reduce barriers to veterans securing housing, including, but not limited to, substance abuse, mental illness, felony charges, lack of a driver's license, physical disability, lack of case management and unemployment.
9. The bill would increase the number of permanent supportive housing units.
10. The bill would require the subcommittee to establish a pilot project to determine best practices for a coordinated system of entry using a standard assessment process by all providers in order to provide a consistent level of services to homeless veterans regardless of which provider first serves a veteran.
11. The bill would establish a percentage of Section 8 vouchers for which homeless veterans will be given preference.
12. The bill would provide funding to assist landlords to improve substandard apartments to provide housing for homeless veterans.
13. The bill would provide for an annual address on the state of homelessness to be given to the Legislature by the Statewide Homeless Council.