MADISON – State Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield) is among a group of lawmakers to introduce legislation that he says will tackle homelessness in Wisconsin.
Snyder, along with Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna) held a news conference Wednesday with housing advocates who said homelessness affected nearly 27,000 people in 2016.
The bill would establish an inter-agency council on homelessness, to be chaired by Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and calls for a pilot program to prioritize chronically homeless people on the wait list for federal housing vouchers. The proposal would also create grants for municipalities to aid homeless people in finding work.
“One of the main goals I had coming into office was to work on putting forth public policy that aims at combating homelessness,” said Snyder, in a news release issued Wednesday morning. “This legislation, along with the three bills introduced by my Assembly Republican colleagues, will work collaboratively to move individuals from streets into homes.”
Rep. Snyder’s bill was introduced as a part of a legislative package that has received support from a number of advocacy groups and service providers from around the state, as well as Lt. Gov. Kleefisch. The package emphasizes a move toward independence and self-sustainability for Wisconsin residents, according to the release.
