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FL-2 Homelessness (cont'd) <br />The $355 million in FY'87 supplemental Appropriations is a beginning. <br />Its immediate offer of aid for a variety of programs, including <br />emergency shelter, mental health subsidies, and health services, and <br />the creation of an Interagency Council on Homelessness, increases <br />federl sponse to <br />issueaandaprovides lclties with dneeded nfunds in ebefore this winter. <br />is national <br />winter <br />Eieergency shelter grants that enable cities to directly receive <br />federal funds are needed to begin immediate renovation and conversion <br />of needed shelter facilities. Funds available to non-profit <br />organizations for emergency food shelf and shelter operations are also <br />an important element of a national response to problems faced at the <br />local level. <br />Federal support to meet the serious public health and social problems <br />posed by homelessness underline the need to coordinate these responses <br />with programs and services sponsored by community -based organizations, <br />churches, businesses, and private foundations. Such assistance must <br />continue to be made available fcr a combination 02 activities, <br />including emergency assistance, long-term support, and preventive <br />measures. <br />FL 3 Extension of Medicare Coverage Requirements <br />Congress previously extended Medicare coverage requirements to all <br />newly hired state and local employees, including election judges, <br />beginning April 1, 1986. Expanding such mandatory employee tax and <br />employer contributions to remaining currently exempt employees <br />increasesh payroll d imposes arlditional costs on cities <br />reporting requirements. <br />Imposition of such requirements after cities have adopted their FY18e <br />budgets makes it extremely difficult to adjust personnel costs to cover <br />unanticipated tax payments. <br />A'hile paid police and fire department personnel are most affected <br />by such changes, other seasonal, part-time and temporary employees are <br />also affected. Many smaller cities have little flexibility or fiscal <br />capacity to adjust to such additional unanticipated costs and <br />reporting requirements. Additional difficulties can also be <br />expected from the requires*,ent to extend such coverage requirements to <br />municipal election judges, many of whom are already retired and whose <br />employment is essential for the conduct of elections which cities <br />must administer. <br />