Testimony

So for my policy II course, we had to create a testimony towards our topic of interest. Here's mine. Feedback is welcome!

Testimony

            Thank you, Chairman Corman, Vice Chairman Tomlinson, and Councilmen and Councilwomen of the Senate Appropriations Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for allowing me to speak today.

            My name is Beth Gaul and I work as a Mental Health Resource Coordinator within Dauphin County. Regarding House Bill No. 1485 as sponsored by Adolph & Turzai (2001), I am requesting the committee consider appropriating more funds to two areas: 1) Emergency Shelter for the Homeless and 2) Homeless Assistance.

            My first experience dealing with the homeless and mentally ill in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was at the age of 17. I was in the downtown area of Harrisburg City when a man approached me. He stated that he was going to be admitted to the “psych ward” on Front Street, but they could not take him yet and he was told to go get lunch. The man was homeless and stated that he had no money. My companions and I took him to the deli and bought him a lunch. This experience contributed to my desire to work within the Human Services field. I have now worked within the mental health field for eight years in various roles. Through that time, a common life stressor would be disclosed by the individuals I worked with: “I’m homeless”.

            I currently work as a case manager with adults diagnosed with major mental illnesses. My role includes assessing their service needs, linking with appropriate community resources, and monitoring their service delivery. I assist these individuals through their mental health recovery by identifying their personal goals and teaching them how to access services to support these goals. Many individuals I work with experience homelessness in varying degrees, including living on the street or staying on families’ couches.  

            During the January 2010 Point-in-time survey of the Mid-Atlantic Region, which is a survey used to identify the homeless population, Pennsylvania identified 13,470 individuals experience homelessness within any given night (Mid-Atlantic Regional Homeless Management Information System, 2011). The U.S. Housing and Urban Development department or HUD defines homelessness as residing on the streets, in inhabitable areas, shelters, or transitional housing programs. This does not account for those who were residing on the streets and could not be located. It does not account for the hidden homeless within Pennsylvania who double up in the homes of family members or friends.

            I would like to share a story of a man I work with who had been residing in the outdoor community in Harrisburg City referred to as Tent City. This individual had worked for years in a local small business until the business’s closure. After losing his job, he struggled to find work and developed depressive symptoms, as well as alcohol dependency. He accessed the supports he could, including the shelter systems in Dauphin County and Adams County. After utilizing the maximum days in the shelters, he found himself on the streets. He discovered Tent City and “resided” there for three to four months before social service agencies became involved in his case. During the five years of homelessness he experienced, he received little medical treatment and no mental health or substance abuse services due to an inability to connect with these supports.

            Once case management services became involved, he was able to access funding for housing through a Federal grant identified as the Homelessness Prevention/Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). He was able to move into an apartment and received assistance for rent and utilities. With the program meeting his basic needs of shelter and food, he has been able to access support for his mental illness and has begun working towards sobriety. Unfortunately, the HPRP funds are finite and quickly reaching a point of exhaustion. He is again facing homelessness due to limited resources.

            There are resources in Pennsylvania for assistance with homelessness. Each program carries specific eligibility requirements and due to limited funding, they can be difficult to access. Agencies, like the HELP office, offer assistance with accessing emergency shelter, rental assistance programs, and other assistance to those living in poverty. Funding for the HELP Ministries comes from various sources, including church organizations, government funding, and private donors (Christian Churches United, 2011). The Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness was created to assist with developing and accessing supports within the community for those experiencing homelessness (Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness, 2011).  The YMCA and the YWCA often offer programs for emergency and transitional housing options to many homeless individuals. These agencies make great efforts towards eliminating homelessness; however, they are restricted by the amount of funds they receive. There are never enough funds to assist all the people who need the support.

            I have worked with a number of individuals and families who have utilized the shelter system and the transitional housing options that are available currently in Pennsylvania. Specifically related to Dauphin County, emergency shelter options are extremely limited. For example, within a year, men in Dauphin County are limited to 10 days of emergency shelter and women are limited to 30 days. During the winter months, often running from November to March, churches have united to offer overnight shelter for the homeless. This is limited to the number of individuals that can be housed for the night based on space and volunteers available. Men and women are turned away due to a limited capacity, forced to face the elements and hope they make it through the night. Men in Dauphin County have one shelter to go to; women have three available shelters. Often, when reaching out to the HELP office for emergency shelter, there are no beds available.

            Those who are identified as mentally ill often have limited income, typically cash assistance benefits, and are waiting for Social Security determinations. When experiencing severe episodes of mood instability or psychosis, they are often unable to work. They cannot afford their own apartments or even to rent a room in a boarding house. Residential programming that is available to the mental health community is also limited. Therefore, accessing these supports is difficult with spaces limited to the most chronic cases. With all these barriers, frequently, individuals find themselves facing choices like living on the street or living with family members in homes that are too small to support more than one family.

            From the prospective of a Mental Health Resource Coordinator, there are very few resources to offer to support these individuals. Often with their basic need for shelter not being met, these individuals begin to decompensate. They experience more mood instability and, at times, begin to self-medicate with street drugs and alcohol. Completely engaging in treatment becomes a challenge due to the constant worry of where they will go for the month, the week, or the night. The mentally ill homeless do not have adequate income to pay for their co-pays on medications or to get bus fare to get to appointments. Some look to the community mental health facilities for inpatient services. Others continue to live on the streets with no treatment at all. Those who have not been able to engage in mental health services, such as case management, may not be aware of the support that is available, even if that support is limited in funding.

            I encourage the Committee to consider allocating more funds toward the budget area for Emergency Shelter for the Homeless and for Homeless Assistance. As House Bill No. 1485 is currently proposed to the Appropriations Committee, the Federal Appropriation for Emergency Shelter is $75,000 and the appropriation for Homeless Assistance is $3,426,000. There are currently no appropriations listed from the State of Pennsylvania. Please consider designating a portion of the appropriations currently established for the Small Communities Block grants, Community Services block grants, and the Mental Health block grants to these two specific areas. To do so would invest in the future of Pennsylvania and work towards eliminating homelessness.
            Again, thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.

Elizabeth Gaul

Adult Resource Coordinator

Harrisburg, PA 17104

References

Adolph & Turzai (2011). House Bill No. 1485. www.legis.state.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/cteeInfo.cfm?cde=3&body=S

Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness (2011). Housing. http://cachpa.org/housing.asp

Christian Churches United (2011). HELP Ministries.www.ccuhbg.org/HELP%20MINISTRIES%20NEW.HTML

Mid-Atlantic Regional Homeless Management Information System. (2011). 2010 Point-in-time    count report. http://monarchhousing.org/wordpress/up-content/uploads/2011/05/MARHSMISPIT2010DataReport.pdf