Faith in the public arena

housing, nursing homes, gambling on MCC agenda

St. Paul - Since Governor Ventura offered his budget to the legislature, talk continues about tax reform and tax rebates, but a number of other issues are heating up as well. Fueled by the leanness of his budget, many voices are crying out for further spending in highly critical areas.

Affordable Housing advocates gathered at the capitol on January 31 to highlight the critical need for a greater investment in housing, especially for the working poor. A person working at or near minimum wage finds it almost impossible to identify housing in Minnesota today. That offered at market rate is beyond financial means and there simply aren’t sufficient affordable units available. A recent report from the State Auditor’s office indicated that the housing crisis in Minnesota is nearly the greatest in the nation. While we approach this issue from the vantage point of human dignity, others will say it is one of the state’s most critical economic issues as well. We cannot attract new businesses or workers to the state if we have no place for workers to live. Generally, three tiers of wage earners are addressed in affordable housing initiatives: those at 80% of median income, those at 50% and those at 30%. Most subsidized housing is currently made available to those whose income is at the 80% level; the lower levels are where it is most crucial - and most costly. The MCC strongly supports the dedication of 1% of biennial income - 320 million - to affordable housing.

On that same day, January 31, a number of healthcare advocates gathered at the capitol to lobby legislators on the current crisis in long term care for increasing numbers of senior citizens. Many nursing homes in our state are literally on the verge of bankruptcy and will close within two years if certain needs are not addressed. The current level of support for those on medical assistance who are living in nursing homes simply does not pay for the level of staffing and service demanded by state regulations (and called for by the dignity of those served). Wage levels are not sufficient to attract and keep workers.

Legislators were also asked to recognize that the means of providing long term care are changing rapidly. A decade ago, there were few options outside of a nursing home. Today, home health care and assisted living facilities are proving to be far superior options for many people - less expensive and more respectful of the desire for maximum independence. Often, assistance is only available in a nursing home, forcing seniors into them prematurely. The all too common practice of children cooperating in the "spending down" of parental assets to make them available for medical assistance only compounds the problem and is immoral, if not illegal. Our office supports raising the "floor" for

support of nursing homes, increased wages for nursing home workers, property tax exemptions for assisted living facilities and nursing homes, and assistance for those seeking home health care.

Though no bill has been introduced, a state-operated casino is receiving press coverage. It has been suggested both as a means of financing a new sports stadium and providing monies to meet the transportation needs of the state in the coming decade. The MCC opposes any expansion of gambling in the state, most especially the dependence of public services on state operated gambling revenues.

Faith in the Public Arena is a legislative issues report from the Minnesota Catholic

Conference of Bishops.