1Establishing a transitional housing assistance program; and
2making an appropriation.

3The General Assembly finds and declares that:

4(1) General assistance in Pennsylvania was eliminated in
52012, for approximately 65,000 Pennsylvanians, almost 60% of
6whom are disabled or otherwise unable to work.

7(2) In addition to disabled individuals, general
8assistance was received by domestic violence survivors,
9adults participating in intensive alcohol or drug treatment
10programs that precluded them from working, children living
11with unrelated adults and adults caring for someone who is
12sick, disabled or an unrelated child.

13(3) With the elimination of general assistance, many
14people lost housing because of their inability to pay rent,
15leaving them homeless or requiring them to repeatedly move.

16(4) Some people chose to forgo basic household and
17personal items in order to use those funds toward housing.

18(5) Providing transitional housing assistance for

1disabled people who have lost funding due to the elimination
2of general assistance would provide the disabled people who
3have lost funding with the necessary safeguard that is needed
4while looking for avenues of assistance through Social
5Security or other available programs.

6The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7hereby enacts as follows:

8Section 1. Short title.

9This act shall be known and may be cited as the Transitional
10Housing Assistance Program Act.

11Section 2. Definitions.

12The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14context clearly indicates otherwise:

15"Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the
16Commonwealth.

17"Eligible person." A person that meets all of the following:

18(1) Has a permanent disability or illness and was
19eligible for general assistance prior to elimination of the
20program on August 1, 2012.

21(2) Does not have housing on the effective date of this
22section or is at risk of becoming homeless as a result of the
23elimination of general assistance.

24(3) Is in the process of or has applied for Social
25Security benefits with the Social Security Administration.

26"General assistance." Assistance granted under section
27432(3) of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the
28Public Welfare Code, but terminated under the act of June 30,
292012 (P.L.668, No.80), entitled "An act amending the act of June
3013, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled 'An act to consolidate,

1editorially revise, and codify the public welfare laws of the
2Commonwealth,' in general powers and duties of the Department of
3Public Welfare, providing for county human services consolidated
4planning and reporting; in public assistance, further providing
5for definitions, providing for cessation of the general
6assistance cash program and the continuation of the general
7assistance-related medical assistance programs, further
8providing for establishment of RESET, for determination of
9eligibility, for failure to comply with employment and work-
10related activity requirements and for medically needy and
11determination of eligibility; in children and youth, further
12providing for definitions; in Nursing Facility Assessments,
13further providing for time periods; in kinship care, further
14providing for definitions and for Kinship Care Program,
15providing for Subsidized Permanent Legal Custodianship Program
16and for permanent legal custodianship subsidy and reimbursement;
17providing for Human Services Block Grant Pilot Program; and
18making related repeals."

19"Housing payment." An amount provided under this act to pay
20for any of the following incurred by an eligible person:

21(1) A lease payment.

22(2) A payment for rental of a hotel room or similar
23lodging.

24(3) A payment to an individual providing housing to the
25eligible person.

26"Transitional housing." Housing and supportive services for
27an individual that is designed to facilitate the movement of a
28homeless person to independent living.

29Section 3. Transitional housing assistance.

30(a) Establishment.--The department shall establish a program

1to provide for transitional housing assistance for an eligible
2person.

3(b) Amount and use.--Assistance provided under subsection
4(a) may not exceed $200 per month for a housing payment.

5Section 4. Housing voucher.

6(a) Application.--An eligible person shall apply for housing
7assistance on an application provided by the department. The
8application shall include a form completed by the individual
9providing housing to the eligible person verifying that the
10eligible person is the individual's tenant or that individual is
11providing housing to the eligible person.

12(b) Payment.--Housing payments shall be made directly to the
13landlord, on behalf of the eligible person.

14Section 5. Reimbursement.

15An eligible person who receives housing assistance shall
16reimburse the department for any funds received under this act
17upon becoming eligible for Social Security benefits.
18Reimbursement may be received directly from the Social Security
19Administration for the eligible person's disability claim.

20Section 6. Assistance with application for Social Security
21disability benefits.

22The department may contract with an appropriate nonprofit
23entity to provide services to the eligible person for assistance
24with the application process for disability benefits under the
25Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.).

26Section 7. Regulations.

27The department may promulgate regulations to carry out the
28provisions of this act.

29Section 8. Appropriation.

30The amount of $35,000,000 shall be transferred from the

1General Fund to the department to provide housing assistance
2under this act.

3Section 40. Effective date.

4This act shall take effect in 60 days.