How Will We Pay for Action Plan?

We are proposing spending nearly $47 million a year to address homelessness. The bottom line is Monroe County has the money to fund this plan. Here is some perspective:

• What we are doing now is not working. We are spending millions of dollars, yet a significant portion of our community is experiencing housing instability.

• Our proposal represents less than 5% of the Monroe County budget of $1.3 billion. 

• We could fund this plan today. Monroe County is setting aside $130 million in a reserve fund, while being able to keep the property tax levy flat. The county also has additional funding available on top of the reserve fund.

• Monroe County recently proposed moving nearly $2 million out of safety net assistance funds, saying that caseloads did not meet expected demand. These funds can be used to support community members in need of housing.

• Housing people is good for the local economy, as local business benefit from capital infused into the market. In addition, people who are housed in stable situations are more likely to be able to retain employment.

• This plan will likely lead to reduced demand on emergency services and increased public safety, saving money and making our community more healthy and secure.

We chronically underfund programs that work, ignore evidence-based new programs, and spend money on bandaids insteads of cures. By adding additional resources to programs that work and implementing new, data-backed measures, we can substantially impact the lives of financially under-resourced individuals - and make sure no one is without shelter.

There is no downside. This plan would mean we put people in housing. We can work out any kinks while providing direct assistance to people right now. The best case scenario is we create a model that can be duplicated by other communities, while making the case for sustained state and federal funding.

Housing is Public Safety.

Housing is Health Care.

Housing is Family Wellness.

Housing is a Human Right.