Bill > H3430

This bill establishes a new state-assisted housing program designed to help residents of public housing become more self-sufficient, with a particular focus on "chapter 200 housing," which refers to a specific type of state-assisted housing. The program will involve intensive case management, including comprehensive assessments of residents' finances, health, education, employment readiness, and personal challenges, leading to the development of a personalized family development plan. Adult participants who agree to the program must work or attend school for 30 hours per week to continue receiving housing benefits, with failure to comply potentially leading to eviction. Those not meeting the 30-hour requirement will need to perform community service, with one-half hour of service required for each hour not spent working or in school, and participants can combine their work and school hours to meet this obligation. Employed residents may have increased rent placed in an escrow account for future use or be enrolled in an income disregard program to accelerate debt reduction. All adult residents fulfilling the work or school requirement will also participate in training programs covering topics like financial literacy, domestic violence, conflict resolution, and parenting. School-aged children of participating families must attend school regularly to ensure continued housing benefits. Applicants for this program will receive priority for apartment placement, meaning they can expect to be offered an apartment more quickly than those on a standard public housing waiting list, though they must still meet existing admission criteria and follow the same application process. All existing rules for chapter 200 housing will apply, with participants agreeing to a lease addendum outlining the program's requirements, and they will pay standard rent based on their income, with other standard application costs like security deposits also applying.