To: Governor Tom Wolf
Restore funding for disabled homeless in Philadelphia
Governor Corbett:
I urge you to restore Department of Public Welfare Funding to the Homeless Advocacy Project's Philadelphia SOAR program. This is an effective program that saves state money that otherwise will likely be spent on prisons and emergency healthcare.
I urge you to restore Department of Public Welfare Funding to the Homeless Advocacy Project's Philadelphia SOAR program. This is an effective program that saves state money that otherwise will likely be spent on prisons and emergency healthcare.
Why is this important?
The Homeless Advocacy Project, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, runs a nationally acclaimed program to help obtain federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for disabled and/or mentally ill homeless people. The Corbett administration just slashed state funding to this program by $722,000, ostensibly to "redirect" funds to other Department of Public Welfare programs. Cutting a well-run program that brings in federal funds to help the homeless stay off the streets makes no sense...Philadelphia residents (but also others in the state) will end up paying more in crime, incarcerations, and hospitalizations, to say nothing of the human costs. See Philadelphia Inquirer article 8/24/12 for more information