Chamber gives urgency and dehydrates PSOL project on homeless people

A proposal that provides incentives for companies to hire homeless people is moving quickly through the Chamber of Deputies. Bill 2,245/2023, by federal deputy Érika Hilton (PSOL-SP), which should pass through five technical commissions for feasibility analysis, had its urgency approved and will go directly to the plenary. The rush draws attention when compared to the House’s usual slowness in deliberating on important projects.

The most controversial point of the text, which obliged companies that receive tax incentives with more than 100 employees to allocate 3% of job openings to homeless people, was withdrawn. Even so, the opposition considers that the measure, if approved, could encourage keeping these people on the streets to obtain benefits, instead of helping them to get out of a vulnerable situation.

“The approval of this project will worsen the situation of homeless people and will only improve the situation of those who live from political demagoguery over this very relevant matter”, said federal deputy Marcel Van Hattem (Novo-RS).

The project creates the National Policy for Decent Work and Citizenship for the Homeless Population, with the main objective of encouraging the hiring of people who live on the streets. Among the strategies is “permanently offering courses for the homeless population”, in addition to creating financial aid and incentive grants to qualify them professionally.

Both in the original project and in the substitute one presented by the rapporteur for the matter, federal deputy Orlando Silva (PCdoB-SP), there is no prediction about the effectiveness of the initiatives.

If approved, the federal government will have to regulate how the measures will be implemented and, therefore, it is also not possible to know what the budgetary impact would be for those who adhere to the Policy. In practice, regulations such as these do not have a delivery date and, most of the time, are forgotten.

fast processing

The project, in its ordinary course, should go through five committees in the Chamber of Deputies. Among them, the Finance and Taxation Commission and the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Commission, which most often block the approval of bills of this nature.

The urgent request was approved on August 9th, a few days after the minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, prohibited the removal of homeless people – a decision confirmed by the plenary of the Court.

In less than 20 days, Deputy Orlando Silva has already presented five versions of his opinion in plenary with relevant changes in the text, which demonstrates an intense articulation between peers for the approval of the project. The left-wing parliamentarians are in a hurry because August is the month dedicated to the struggle of homeless people.

Now, it is in the hands of the mayor, Arthur Lira (PP-AL), to guide the bill to be voted by the plenary. If approved, the text will go to the Federal Senate.