Hello, PPC Membership! Last week we had the incredible opportunity to host Dr. Robert Marbut, the Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. He spoke to us about a new initiative of helping homeless populations that puts the focus on trauma-informed care and accessibility to affordable housing. He invited leaders from Salt Lake City, County, and the State Legislature to demand accountability from the service providers. For example, the Pioneer Park Coalition has the opportunity to learn daily from the students at The Other Side Academy. These brave men and women are the perfect illustration of the power that accountability and integrity have to change lives. The program is different from any other rehabilitation program you will ever see, and Dr. Marbut was very impressed when he paid a visit.
Dr. Marbut implored us to shift our policies and actions to those that align with sincere integrity. Utah needs a leader against homelessness to head a concerted effort to hold service providers accountable. This leadership will be supplemented with accurate and descriptive data. Data often cuts through the loudest of noise to show harsh realities.
Following the visit of Dr. Marbut, we had the opportunity to attend a roundtable hosted by The Other Side Academy with Senator Mike Lee. Senator Lee and the students engaged in dialogue on the realities of being homeless and of incarceration. Senator Lee explained the Cobra effect and the parallels it has with homelessness.
During the British colonial rule of India, the government was concerned about the number of venomous Cobras in New Delhi. In an effort to decrease the population, a bounty was offered for every dead cobra. Initially, this policy was successful because the population of deadly snakes decreased dramatically. However, this policy soon backfired when it was discovered that people were making a lot of money operating a cobra-breeding enterprise! When this was made known to the government, they shut down the program, rendering snakes worthless. Instead of solving the problem, this caused cobras to be released back into the wild, thereby increasing the population.
Current homeless systems are facilitating the vicious cycle of cobra breeding. Fortunately, Marbut’s approach breaks the vicious cycle of homelessness. With his plan, there is clear coordination of efforts and specific goals that all providers follow. Senator Lee explained that the federal government is disconnected from the roots of the problems. He is determined to advocate for a system that stops breeding cobras.
In this legislative session, the Pioneer Park Coalition is following legislation that fights homelessness from all sides. In the past two weeks, exciting legislation supporting reducing homelessness was introduced and passed.
Senator Anderegg’s Affordable Housing Bill, SB 39, passed through appropriation committee meetings. He explained his funding structure and broke down where the $20 million will go. Many of the questions from fellow representatives addressed the data disparities. Senator Anderegg stressed that his data is influenced by real people and their specific needs. After this committee meeting, SB 39 has moved to the Senate for its second reading.
H.B. 32, Crisis Services Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Eliason increases Mental Health Services for individuals and families. Rep. Eliason has stressed the importance of this bill in filling care gaps for mental health care. These services include providing mental health services, cooperating with efforts of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to promote integrated programs that address individuals’ substance abuse, mental health, and physical healthcare needs. This bill passed unanimously in the House and will now move to be introduced in the Senate.
Senator Escamilla introduced SB 165, Emergency Response Plan for Homelessness, that will develop an emergency response plan that is locally appropriate with the council of governments in which guidelines are established during an emergency response. It also ensures that the needs of individuals and families experiencing homelessness are met in emergencies. The bill expands local capacity and infrastructure in emergencies including development, construction, and improvement of emergency shelters. It facilitates access to emergency services and support for families and individuals in an emergency and expands outreach and education efforts for these individuals and families. This bill is a positive step towards the accountability that Dr. Marbut stressed in our meetings.
These past two weeks have been very important for the Pioneer Park Coalition. I commend you all for doing your part to ensure that no more cobras are bred! If there are any questions or comments about the legislative session or the membership events please contact us at info@pioneerpark.co. If you would like additional updates more frequently, follow us @pioneerparkco, I will be posting Instagram stories in real time while I am at the Capitol!