AUGUSTA - A proposal by Rep. Victoria Morales, D-South Portland, to provide stable housing and community services to Mainers experiencing chronic homelessness was signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday.
"This proposal is about breaking the cycle of homelessness and crisis among those who are most frequently utilizing expensive emergency services. The way to accomplish this is to create a supportive housing framework that provides stability and increases access to services," said Morales, who leads a working group of lawmakers focused on housing policy.
"LD 475 creates the Frequent Users System Engagement Collaborative, or FUSE, bringing together experts in housing policy, public safety, behavioral health and other stakeholders. The collaborative is charged with developing a plan to provide stable housing and wrap-around community services for at least 200 Mainers who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness and who are frequent consumers of high-cost emergency services like hospital emergency rooms, jails and shelters.
"Across the board, data show that, once housed, this population experiences a reduction in shelter usage, a reduction in jail days and reduced recidivism, a reduction in emergency room and hospital use, a reduction of police and rescue contacts and an increase in housing retention. This provides a double win, saving taxpayer dollars while improving outcomes for some of their most vulnerable community members," Morales said.
"From a law enforcement and jail perspective, we know that individuals who enter the criminal justice system sometimes get caught up in the 'revolving door' because they don't have a home, they don't have a job and they don't know how to access the appropriate services necessary to become successful," said Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce at a public hearing on the measure.
"FUSE is designed to address some of the challenges that a homeless individual faces each and every day," Joyce added.
The new law was passed as an emergency measure, meaning it went into effect immediately. The collaborative is required to report back to the Legislature with its plan by Jan. 1, 2022.
Morales is serving her second term in the Maine House. She represents part of South Portland and is a member of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Morales], c. 812-1111