With President Donald Trump recently unveiling his first budget proposal, some organizations in the central New York region combatting homelessness have become worried about funding to a governmental agency that handles homelessness.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, a federal independent agency responsible for developing and implementing plans to tackle homelessness, would receive no federal funding under the proposed fiscal year 2018 budget. The agency’s budget is estimated at $4 million, according to The Washington Post.

The USICH works as an intermediary that facilitates cooperation among different government agencies on homelessness, said Melissa Marrone, coordinator of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York. Without the federal assistance, those operations would be hampered, she said.

When it comes to homelessness, she explained, multiple departments are involved: low-income housing programs supported through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, health care systems through the Department of Health and Human Services, educational programs supported through the Department of Education and even the criminal justice system through the Department of Justice.

“All the funding streams are really to serve people who are suffering, who are vulnerable, and without them we can’t just use the money to house people without taking care of their service needs,” Marrone said.

The USICH offers guidance and helps to break down bureaucratic barriers among different government agencies, which has served as a model for the statewide Interagency Council on Homelessness. New York state launched its own in 2016 along with a $10.4 billion Homelessness Action Plan proposal to support new and existing community housing from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Trump’s budget also proposes to cut 13 percent in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 18 percent in the Department of Health and Human Services, 14 percent in Department of Education and 4 percent in the Justice Department.

“I guess I don’t know if the Trump administration or the (Secretary of the HUD Ben) Carson administration really understands the magnitude of the ability that USICH has on ending homelessness,” Marrone said.

Liz Osborn, external affairs manager at U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, declined to be interviewed for this story. Bob Pulster, New England regional coordinator for the federal agency, referred inquiries to Osborn.

Kendall Slee, communications specialist at local organization Rescue Mission Alliance, said in an email that even though the organization has no relationship with the federal agency, it acknowledges the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has served as “a voice for people experiencing homelessness.”

Only three agencies in the country — the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense — would see a bump in their budget next fiscal year under Trump’s budget.

Shana Gadarian, associate professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, however, pointed out the budget plan currently on the table would likely be modified as it will go through Congress.

“Budget proposals are just that – they are proposals and they are a starting point, but budget actually comes from Congress,” Gadarian said. “… A budget that so substantially cuts social programs seems extraordinarily surprising to get passed through the Congress.”

The administration has defended elimination and cuts of multiple programs because it “focuses funding to redefine the proper role of the Federal Government,” which is consistent with Trump’s determination to promote fiscal responsibility, the budget proposal states.

The city of Syracuse has made some progress in homelessness, as it has seen a decrease in its homeless shelter population by about one-third over the past six years and was recognized for its efforts to decriminalize homelessness by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. The city is among one of the first cities that successfully eradicated veteran homelessness in 2015.

“We couldn’t have been able to end veteran homelessness without USICH,” Marrone said.

Central New York is “really close” to ending chronic homelessness — referring to individuals who have been in a shelter or on the street for over a year, or four times over a span of three years adding up to cumulative of 365 days — Marrone said.

“With those proposed cuts … it’s just not good,” Marrone said.

Published on March 28, 2017 at 10:25 pm

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