Whitney Brown

This bill unjustly affects the unhoused who struggle to meet basic daily needs. Requiring residency puts undue hardship on them in favor of municipalities general funds' bottom lines - an ultimately short-sighted fiscal move. Our unhoused are residents in the cities they reside, regardless of tax-paying status, bias or prior residency/transient histories. Municipalities often use shelter residency history or often discourage individuals to apply for benefits in order to reduce the amount of entitlements. Many potential applicants/unhoused are unaware of their right to due process and Legal Aid is overwhelmed with cases and cannot help, though they are effective in reversing these denials if the individual persists through their due process. Individuals who are unhoused seeking safety are entitled to that and it's our duty to acknowledge this and lean on supportive agencies to assist them to establish in the communities in which they've felt supported and get a chance to thrive. Please oppose this bill; entitlement disbursement from municipal funds are often already inequitable in practice. -Safe Harbor Recovery Center