WHEREAS:

The nation's homeless population numbers well over 500,000 persons with an estimated 250,000 of them suffering from chronic mental illness; and

WHEREAS:

Many professional and advocacy groups have found that the practice of discharging mentally ill patients from state hospitals into ill-prepared communities has been a major contributing factor to homelessness; and

WHEREAS:

The Reagan Administration's cutbacks in housing, social services, and disability programs are also major contributing factors to homelessness; and

WHEREAS:

Federal, state, and local governments should not abdicate their responsibility to care for our most vulnerable citizens.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME call upon the federal, state, and local governments to reaffirm their responsibility for the homeless and work together to provide them food, shelter, treatment, training and employment programs, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME will work with advocacy groups in urging the Administration, the Congress, and state and local governments to increase funding for housing, social service, and disability programs targeted to provide services to the homeless, and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME urge state governments to correct the damage caused by previous deinstitutionalization policies by directly providing mental health treatment and related housing and support services to the mentally ill homeless.

SUBMITTED BY:

International Executive Board