04/07/2008 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 231                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the Alaska housing trust fund and                                                                      
     to the Alaska Council on the Homeless; and providing                                                                       
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF JESSE,  EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,  ALASKA MENTAL HEALTH  TRUST                                                                   
AUTHORITY,  DEPARTMENT OF  REVENUE,  acknowledged the  issues                                                                   
raised by the  Committee in previous meetings  regarding this                                                                   
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman  noted an  email  from Mark  Romick,  AHFC,                                                                   
(copy  on  file),  which  answers  some  of  the  Committee's                                                                   
concerns.  He  reported on a $10 million  capital expenditure                                                                   
from the  Department of  Revenue for  this legislation.   The                                                                   
appropriation is in SB 221.  $2.5  million comes from each of                                                                   
four  sources:  general  fund,   AHFC,  Mental  Health  Trust                                                                   
Authority,  and private sources.   He  requested to  know the                                                                   
position of the Mental Health Trust Board.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Jesse reported  that the trustees have  worked diligently                                                                   
on low-income  housing issues  for a number  of years.   They                                                                   
have invested  $3  million to  $4 million over  the last  few                                                                   
years.  The Mental Health Trust  recognizes a concern that it                                                                   
needs  to provide  more on-going  support for  projects.   He                                                                   
stated that  the Trust is willing  to commit to  this project                                                                   
for at least five  years at the $2.5 million  level per year.                                                                   
To date,  that is  the largest  commitment the Mental  Health                                                                   
Trust has made.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:22:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAT LUBY,  ADVOCACY DIRECTOR,  ALASKA ASSOCIATION  OF RETIRED                                                                   
PERSONS (AARP),  ANCHORAGE, testified  in support of  SB 231.                                                                   
He disavowed the stereotype of  homeless people.  He reported                                                                   
that  AARP has  tracked the  number  of grandparents  raising                                                                   
grandchildren  in  Alaska  and  the  corresponding  financial                                                                   
ramifications.    He  discussed the  circumstances  faced  by                                                                   
homeless children.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:24:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  MOVED  to  REPORT  CSSB  231(FIN)  out  of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal notes.  There  being NO OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  321 (FIN)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation  and with three previous  published zero                                                                   
fiscal  notes  by  the  Department   of  Public  Safety,  the                                                                   
Department of Health and Social  Services, and the Department                                                                   
of Corrections, and with a new  fiscal note by the Department                                                                   
of Revenue.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:25:34 AM