Budget and Appropriations needed one vote to approve
Delay may postpone decision until May
Senator Dana L. Redd
The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee to hold the vote on S2354 the Homeless Trust Fund bill until their next meeting. Only thirteen of the fifteen members of the committee were present. Senate rules require that the affirmative votes equal fifty percent of the members of the committee plus one. With only thirteen members present, the vote appeared to be divided on partisan lines with seven in favor and six opposed. Thus, without one of the two absent votes there would not have been enough votes to release the bill for a full Senate vote.
The next step is for the bill to be voted on at a future meeting of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. This is not likely to occur until May.
Testifying before the committee were: Freeholder Blanquita B. Valenti of Middlesex County, Sandra D. Jackson, Vice President of Adult Programs, Dooley House and Chair of Permanent Affordable and Supportive Housing (PASH) of the Homeless Network Planning Committee of Camden County, Kali Cohen, Center for Family Services, Daniel A. Altilio, President and CPO of the United Way of Hudson County, Herb Levine, Executive Director of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness.
It is most unfortunate that a bill to end homelessness in New Jersey has become the victim of partisanship. The homeless are both Republicans, Democrats and Independents. The homeless are our brothers and sisters, cousins, nieces and nephews, friends and neighbors. All they want is a place to call home.
Senator Redd spoke with the members of the Advocacy Network who spoke after the meeting and reassured them that this bill will pass. The Advocacy Network will continue to advocate for this bill until it is approved and signed.
The Homeless Trust Fund establishes a recurring source of funding that would be dedicated to ending homelessness in each County that decided to establish a local fund.
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