PRINTER'S NO. 886
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 104
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, SANCHEZ, WAXMAN, HILL-EVANS, MADDEN,
KHAN, HOWARD, DEASY, SCHLOSSBERG AND CERRATO, MARCH 10, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,
MARCH 10, 2025
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
2 study on the cost and effectiveness of current and ongoing
3 Housing First programs across the United States and the
4 potential effectiveness of Housing First programs in this
5 Commonwealth.
6 WHEREAS, Housing First is a program focusing on providing
7 housing to the unhoused, regardless of background, including
8 typical barriers like substance use disorder status; and
9 WHEREAS, Housing First programs operate under the belief that
10 housing is an essential first step in recovering from being
11 unhoused; and
12 WHEREAS, Utilizing Housing First programs may be most useful
13 for individuals who are chronically unhoused; and
14 WHEREAS, The risk of being unhoused increases for an
15 individual with a low socioeconomic status, a mental health
16 disorder or a substance use disorder; and
17 WHEREAS, As of 2024, there are 14,088 unhoused individuals in
18 this Commonwealth; and
19 WHEREAS, On average, this Commonwealth has 11 unhoused
 1 individuals for every 10,000 of the general population; and
2 WHEREAS, Veterans are more likely than the general population
3 to be unhoused due to a higher risk for traumatic brain injury
4 or post-traumatic stress disorder; and
5 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth
6 Experiencing Homelessness Program, which reduces barriers for
7 unhoused children to access local public schools, served 46,714
8 children; and
9 WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has 16 Continuum of Care districts
10 that receive Federal grants to serve the unhoused and other
11 populations; and
12 WHEREAS, Housing First programs have been implemented in
13 states like Utah and California, as well as cities like Denver,
14 Houston and Seattle; and
15 WHEREAS, Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, several cities
16 across the country have struggled with providing services to
17 unhoused population and have declared states of emergency to
18 cope with this crisis; therefore be it
19 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
20 State Government Commission to conduct a study on the cost and
21 effectiveness of current and ongoing Housing First programs
22 across the United States and the potential effectiveness of
23 Housing First programs in this Commonwealth; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission compile
25 a report on the study that, at a minimum, includes the
26 following:
27 (1) An assessment of the state of the unhoused
28 population in this Commonwealth, including the state of the
29 most at-risk individuals and the individuals who are
30 currently experiencing chronic homelessness.
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 1 (2) Whether Housing First programs in other locations
2 across the United States, including California, Salt Lake
3 City, Utah and New Orleans, Louisiana, have reduced the
4 chronically unhoused population and the broader unhoused
5 population.
6 (3) Whether the United States Department of Veterans
7 Affairs' Housing First approach, which supports unhoused
8 veterans and their families in finding permanent housing, has
9 reduced the population of unhoused veterans in this
10 Commonwealth.
11 (4) The cost difference between Housing First programs
12 and traditional shelter-based programs.
13 (5) The effect of recent events, including the 2020
14 COVID-19 pandemic, increases in the cost of living and the
15 reduction of funding for the Supplemental Nutrition
16 Assistance Program, on the unhoused population.
17 (6) The effect of children being unhoused on academic
18 performance in schools.
19 (7) Any other matter regarding the unhoused and Housing
20 First programs that the Joint State Government Commission
21 deems appropriate;
22 and be it further
23 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
24 authorized to request information that is not protected from
25 disclosure from State agencies and departments for the study;
26 and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission submit
28 the report with its findings and recommendations no later than
29 18 months after the adoption of this resolution to all of the
30 following:
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1 (1) The President pro tempore of the Senate.
2 (2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
3 (3) The Majority Leader of the Senate.
4 (4) The Minority Leader of the Senate.
5 (5) The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
6 (6) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
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