HLS 22RS-5047 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 194
BY REPRESENTATIVE HUGHES
HOUSING: Urges and requests the Louisiana Housing Corporation to study issues related
to the rising number of homeless individuals in Louisiana and the lack of affordable
housing and to identify potential funding sources to address these issues
1 A RESOLUTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Housing Corporation to study issues related to the rising
3 number of homeless individuals in Louisiana, the lack of affordable housing in our
4 state, and to identify potential funding sources to address these issues and to report
5 its findings to the House of Representatives and the House Committee on
6 Appropriations of the Legislature of Louisiana prior to March 1, 2023.
7 WHEREAS, homelessness in our nation impacts all races, creeds, and genders; and
8 WHEREAS, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
9reported a 7.9% increase in homelessness in Louisiana between 2019 and 2020; and
10 WHEREAS, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness,
11as of January 2020, Louisiana had an estimated 3,173 persons experiencing homelessness
12on any given day, with that total comprised in part of families, veterans, unaccompanied
13young adults age 18-24, and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; and
14 WHEREAS, agencies and non-profits across the state that offer services to the
15homeless report increased needs since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
16numerous hurricanes and other natural disasters impacting our state; and
17 WHEREAS, homeless service providers in most regions of this state are unable to
18regularly attend legislative hearings and provide vital information to lawmakers on the depth
19and breadth of the homelessness problem our state is facing; and
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HR NO. 194
1 WHEREAS, new homeless counts for Louisiana are expected to be released in the
2next several months and will show the extent of Hurricane Ida's impact on homelessness in
3our state; and
4 WHEREAS, in addition to recent devastating natural disasters, other factors such as
5the short supply of affordable housing, the increase in average rental prices, increasing rates
6of inflation, and rising flood and insurance premiums, cut away at the financial security of
7our population pushing some families and individuals further towards housing insecurity;
8and
9 WHEREAS, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there is a
10shortage of affordable rental homes available to extremely low income households in the
11state, with only 45 such homes available for every 100 renter households as of 2020; and
12 WHEREAS, homelessness has a direct impact on access to healthcare, poor health
13outcomes, poor rates of participation in all levels of education, and negatively affects
14wage-earning potential for individuals suffering homelessness; and
15 WHEREAS, the use of state and federal funding on programs and assistance targeted
16to decrease homelessness by providing safe, affordable housing for families and individuals
17experiencing homelessness seems to have a direct impact on improving access to healthcare
18and health outcomes and reducing recurring state expenses for incarceration and foster care.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
20Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Louisiana Housing Corporation
21to study issues related to the rising number of homeless individuals in Louisiana and the lack
22of affordable housing and to identify potential funding sources to address these issues, and
23to report its findings to the House of Representatives and the House Committee on
24Appropriations of the Legislature of Louisiana prior to March 1, 2023.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Housing Corporation is requested
26to conduct a public hearing for purposes of studying this issue to solicit comments from the
27public and interested stakeholder organizations on the following topics:
28 (1) Annual point-in-time homelessness counts in the state of Louisiana by
29Continuums of Care and other homeless service providers.
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HR NO. 194
1 (2) Homeless service providers' capacity, shelter bed counts, and the availability of
2affordable housing in communities across the state.
3 (3) Information concerning factors contributing to increases in family homelessness
4across the state.
5 (4) Information concerning the number of children enrolled in public schools
6experiencing homelessness in this state.
7 (5) Information concerning the relationship between housing stability to decreased
8government expenses on healthcare, incarceration, foster care, and other programs for
9individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
10 (6) Potential state and federal funding sources for the construction or rehabilitation
11of non-congregant shelters, deeply affordable housing, and other solutions to keep Louisiana
12families from experiencing homelessness.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 194 Original 2022 Regular Session Hughes
Urges and requests the La. Housing Corporation to study issues related to the rising number
of homeless individuals in La. and the lack of affordable housing and to identify potential
funding sources to address these issues, and to report its findings to the House of
Representatives and the House Committee on Appropriations prior to March 1, 2023.
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