Rep. Peters' Bill to Reduce Housing Assistance Red Tape Passes House of Representatives
Press Release
Today, the Housing Assistance Efficiency Act, introduced last summer by U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52), passed the House of Representatives unopposed. It comes as the City of San Diego seeks to find a permanent home for its temporary homeless shelter, and as the colder winter season places homeless populations across the country in an increasingly vulnerable position.
"San Diego is blessed with quality homeless service providers who know best how to serve those in need. This bill removes a non-essential layer of red tape that will save money and allow people to get housing help more quickly," Rep. Peters said. "We shouldn't be saddling the Department of Housing and Urban Development or our services providers with more administrative work that only slows down the process and doesn't add value."
Peters continued, "We must ensure that community experts at non-profits across the San Diego region are not hamstrung by federal inaction. I'm proud of the work being done in San Diego to end chronic homelessness and will continue to advocate for solutions like this one."
"The Housing Assistance Efficiency Act will help relieve the obstacles associated with coordinating federal funds to address homelessness in San Diego, so we can focus on helping our most vulnerable individuals and families through national best practices. I am thankful for Congressman Peters' continued advocacy and support for this important issue," said San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria, who serves as Governance Board Chair of the Regional Continuum of Care Council (RCCC).
In its letter of support for the bill, the San Diego Housing Federation stated in part "By allowing private nonprofits to administer federal rental assistance and reducing the period of reallocation of funds from twice a year to once a year, this bill removes barriers to helping get important resources to those who need it most. With the third largest homeless population in the nation, this bill is especially significant to helping the San Diego region work to end homelessness in our communities."
Now that the Housing Assistance Efficiency Act has passed the House of Representatives, it moves to the Senate where it will need to pass before the end of the year, so it can move to President Obama's desk for signature into law.
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