Comment Submitted by Billie Charles

In these tough time, assistance to avoid or end homelessness is crucial to the welfare of our citizens. For this reason, combining the homelessness assistance programs and speeding up the process is a good choice. Most of the proposed rules seem adequate to make this happen. I would, however, like to comment on a few of the issue brought up. Your suggestion for considering a one year lease as permanent housing seems adequate, as it provides the individual an opportunity to get on the right track with their career and life. While inspections do not seem to be a bad idea, a possible alternative would be to have references provided for verifying the state of the housing. I believe that safety is a must to safety measures should be built in for both the homeless individual as well as the providers. Finally, it is a good idea to have the individuals involved in both the board and monthly reviews in order to make sure that everything is being done properly and things are going smoothly. One final note that I would like to make is that it may be a good idea to set aside a plan and funds for outreach and availability of information to the poor community. It is crucial that homeless individuals know how to access these opportunities. Thank you for supporting our communities and the underprivileged.