BILL NUMBER: AB 639 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 3, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member John A. Pérez
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Atkins and Muratsuchi)
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Achadjian, Bocanegra, Bonilla,
Buchanan, Brown, Ian Calderon,
Chesbro, Daly, Eggman, Fox,
Maienschein, Perea, Quirk-Silva,
Rendon, Wieckowski, and Williams
)
( Coauthors: Senators
DeSaulnier, Hueso, Gaines, Roth,
and Wyland )
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
An act to amend Section 51005 Sections
50408, 50501, 50505, 50510, and 50512 of the Health and Safety
Code, and to amend Section 998.403 of, and to add Article 3.2
(commencing with Section 987.001), and Article 5y (commencing
with Section 998.540) 998.540), to
Chapter 6 of Division 4 of, the Military and Veterans Code, relating
to the financing of a program to provide housing and services
to veterans through the issuance and sale of bonds of the State
of California and by providing for the handling and disposition of
those funds, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect
immediately.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 639, as amended, John A. Pérez. Veterans Housing and
Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014: Veterans Housing and
Homeless Prevention Act of 2014.
Existing law, the Veterans' Bond Act of 2008, as approved by the
voters, authorizes the issuance of bonds in the amount of
$900,000,000, pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law, for
purposes of financing the Cal-Vet program for farm, home, and
mobilehome purchase assistance for veterans.
This bill would amend the Veterans' Bond Act of 2008 to reduce the
amount of bonds that are authorized to be issued under the act from
$900,000,000 to $300,000,000. The bill would instead
enact the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention
Bond Act of 2014 (the bond act) to authorize the issuance of
bonds in the amount of $600,000,000, as specified, for expenditure by
the California Housing Finance Agency, the Department of
Housing and Community Development for purposes of the
construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of multifamily housing
for veterans, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans
Affairs Development, and the Department of Veterans
Affairs to provide multifamily housing and services to veterans
pursuant to the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014
(VHHPA), also enacted by the bill . The bill would authorize
the Legislature to amend the provisions of this
the bond act, by majority vote, under specified
criteria. for specified purposes. The
bi8ll bill would impose a specified reporting
requirement on the California Housing Finance Agency
Department of Housing and Community Development to
evaluate, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs,
any program established by the former pursuant to the VHHPA .
The bill would authorize the Department of Housing and Community
Development to provide specified assistance to veterans.
The bill would provide for submission of its provisions
a specified section to the voters at the
November 4, 2014, general election, as specified.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as
an urgency statute.
Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 51005 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
51005. (a) The agency shall, by November 1 of each year, submit
an annual report of its activities under this division for the
preceding year to the Governor, the Secretary of the Business and
Transportation Agency, the Director of Housing and Community
Development, the Treasurer, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee,
the Legislative Analyst, and the Legislature. The report shall set
forth a complete operating and financial statement of the agency
during the concluded fiscal year. The report shall specify the number
of units assisted, the distribution of units among the metropolitan,
nonmetropolitan, and rural areas of the state, and shall contain a
summary of statistical data relative to the incomes of households
occupying assisted units, the monthly rentals charged to occupants of
rental housing developments, and the sales prices of residential
structures purchased during the previous fiscal year by persons or
families of low or moderate income. The report shall also include a
statement of accomplishment during the previous year with respect to
the agency's progress, priorities, and affirmative action efforts.
The agency shall specifically include in its report on affirmative
action goals, statistical data on the numbers and percentages of
minority sponsors, developers, contractors, subcontractors,
suppliers, architects, engineers, attorneys, mortgage bankers or
other lenders, insurance agents, and managing agents.
(b) The report shall also include specific information evaluating
the extent to which the programs administered by the agency have
attained the statutory objectives of the agency, including, but not
limited to, (1) the primary purpose of the agency in meeting the
housing needs of persons and families of low or moderate income
pursuant to Section 50950, (2) the occupancy requirements for very
low income households established pursuant to Sections 50951 and
51226, (3) the elderly and orthopedic disability occupancy
requirements established pursuant to Section 51230, (4) the use of
surplus moneys pursuant to Section 51007, (5) the metropolitan,
nonmetropolitan, and rural goals established pursuant to subdivision
(h) of Section 50952, (6) the California Statewide Housing Plan, as
required by Section 50154, (7) the statistical and other information
developed and maintained pursuant to Section 51610, (8) the number of
manufactured housing units assisted by the agency, (9) information
with respect to the proceeds derived from the issuance of bonds or
securities and any interest or other increment derived from the
investment of bonds or securities, and the uses for which those
proceeds or increments are being made as provided for in Section
51365, including the amount by which each fund balance exceeds
indenture requirements, (10) any recommendations described in
subdivision (d), (11) any recommendations described in Section 51227,
(12) the revenue bonding authority plan adopted pursuant to Section
51004.5, (13) the statistical and other information required to be
provided pursuant to Section 50156, (14) an analysis of the agency's
compliance with the targeting requirements of subsection (d) of
Section 142 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. Sec. 142)
with respect to any issue of bonds subject to those requirements
under Section 103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.
Sec. 103), including the numbers of rental units subject to this
reporting requirement by categories based on the number of bedrooms
per unit, and (15) the statistical and other information relating to
congregate housing for the elderly pursuant to Section 51218.
The agency may, at its option, include the information required by
this section in a single document or may separately report the
statistical portion of the information in a supplement appended to
its annual report. This statistical supplement shall be distributed
with copies of the agency's annual report, but need not be provided
to bond rating agencies, underwriters, investors, developers, or
financial institutions.
(c) The agency shall cause an audit of its books and accounts with
respect to its activities under this division to be made at least
once during each fiscal year by an independent certified public
accountant and the agency shall be subject to audit by the Department
of Finance not more often than once each fiscal year.
(d) The agency shall assess any obstacles or problems that it has
encountered in meeting its mandate to serve nonmetropolitan and rural
metropolitan areas, and recommend legislative and administrative
solutions to overcome these obstacles or problems. The agency shall
separately assess its progress in meeting the rehabilitation needs of
rural areas and the new construction needs of rural areas, and
separately assess its progress as to single and multifamily units.
The agency shall include in its report a quantification and
evaluation of its progress in meeting the housing needs of
communities of various sizes in rural areas.
(e) By December 1 of each fiscal year, the agency shall ascertain
that not less than 25 percent of the total units financed by mortgage
loans during the preceding 12 months pursuant to this part were made
available to very low income households. If the agency finds that
these very low income occupancy goals have not been met, the agency
shall immediately notify the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly,
and the Senate Committee on Rules, and shall recommend legislation or
other action as may be required to make (1) at least 25 percent of
the units so available, and (2) at least 25 percent of the units
thereafter financed so available. In housing developments for which
the agency provides a construction loan but not a mortgage loan, the
agency shall report annually on the percentage of units projected to
be made available for occupancy and actually occupied by lower income
households.
(f) The annual report required pursuant to this section shall also
include an evaluation of any program established by the department
pursuant to Article 5y (commencing with Section 998.540) of Chapter 6
of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code.
SEC. 2. Section 998.403 of the Military and
Veterans Code is amended to read:
998.403. For the purpose of creating a fund to provide farm and
home aid for veterans in accordance with the Veterans' Farm and Home
Purchase Act of 1974 (Article 3.1 (commencing with Section 987.50)),
and of all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, the
committee may create a debt or debts, liability or liabilities, of
the State of California, in the aggregate amount of not more than
three hundred million dollars ($300,000,000), exclusive of refunding
bonds, in the manner provided herein.
SEC. 3. SECTION 1. Article 5y
(commencing with Section 998.540) is added to Chapter 6 of Division 4
of the Military and Veterans Code, to read:
Article 5y. The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention
Bond Act of 2014
998.540. This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014.
998.541. (a) California is home to almost two million veterans,
more than any other state in the nation, and with the winding down of
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, an unprecedented number of
California veterans will return to our communities, many in need of
housing, employment, mental health and drug treatment, and physical
rehabilitation.
(b) Unfortunately, California also leads the nation in the number
of homeless veterans, roughly 25 percent of the nation's homeless
veterans live in California, approximately 19,000 veterans. According
to the California Research Bureau, Los Angeles is number one in
terms of the number of homeless veterans followed by the San Diego
region at number three, and the San Francisco Bay Area at number
nine.
(c) Moreover, the face of the nation's homeless veterans'
population is changing as more OIF/OEF veterans find themselves in a
downward spiral towards homelessness and, increasingly, female
veterans and their children comprise more and more of the homeless
veteran demographic.
(d) With their higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder,
substance abuse, and unemployment, as well as the higher incidence of
sexual trauma experienced by our female veterans, the current
homeless veteran, all too often, cycles in and out of our jails,
hospitals, and treatment programs, disproportionately drawing down
services without receiving the proper services to stabilize their
lives.
(e) The Legislature must advance a comprehensive, coordinated, and
cost-effective approach to respond to the housing and services needs
of our veterans. Such an approach should leverage public and private
resources as well as align housing and services.
(f) Five years ago, Californians overwhelmingly affirmed their
gratitude to our veterans by approving Proposition 12, a $900 million
general obligation bond intended to help veterans specifically
purchase single family homes, farms, and mobilehomes through the
CalVet Home Loan Program.
(g) As a result of the nation's economic crisis and state's
housing downturn coupled with the changing demographics of our
veterans, the Farm and Home Loan Program, as approved by Proposition
12, has been significantly undersubscribed. Five years since its
passage, the full $900 million remains unspent as does a portion of
the $500 million from Proposition 32, which was approved by the
voters in 2000.
(h) Meanwhile, veterans in need of multifamily housing that is
affordable, supportive, and transitional remains unmet and public and
private resources available for these purposes remain underutilized.
(i) California voters should be granted the opportunity to
restructure the Proposition 12 veterans' bond program to better
respond to the housing and services needs as well as the changing
demographics of the current veteran.
(j) The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond
Act of 2014 will restructure $600 million of the existing Proposition
12 bond moneys to allow for the construction and rehabilitation of
multifamily housing for veterans and prioritize projects that align
housing with services. Even with this restructuring of bond moneys,
the act still preserves over half a billion dollars for the existing
CalVet Farm and Home Loan Program.
(k) The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond
Act of 2014 will expand housing and service options for veterans,
cost-effectively leverage public dollars, reduce the number of
homeless veterans and its attendant public costs, and place
California at the forefront of our nation's efforts to end veterans
homelessness by 2015.
998.542. (a) The State General Obligation Bond Law (Chapter 4
(commencing with Section 16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code), as amended from time to time,
except as otherwise provided herein, is adopted for the purpose of
the issuance, sale, and repayment of, and otherwise providing with
respect to, the bonds authorized to be issued by this article, and
the provisions of that law are included in this article as though set
out in full in this article. All references in this article to
"herein" refer both to this article and that law.
(b) For purposes of the State General Obligation Bond Law, the
California Housing Finance Agency, the Department of
Housing and Community Development Development,
and the Department of Veterans Affairs is designated the
board.
998.543. As used herein, the following terms have the following
meanings:
(a) "Board" means the California Housing Finance Agency, the
Department of Housing and Community Development
Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs
.
(b) "Bond" means a veterans' bond, a state general obligation
bond, issued pursuant to this article adopting the provisions of the
State General Obligation Bond Law.
(c) "Bond act" means this article authorizing the issuance of
state general obligation bonds and adopting the State General
Obligation Bond Law by reference.
(d) "Committee" means the Housing for Veterans Finance Committee,
established pursuant to Section 998.547.
(e) "Fund" means the Housing for Veterans Fund, established
pursuant to Section 998.544.
998.544. (a) Bonds in the total amount of six hundred million
dollars ($600,000,000), or so much thereof as is necessary, not
including the amount of any refunding bonds, or so much thereof as is
necessary, may be issued and sold to provide a fund to be used for
carrying out the purposes expressed in subdivision (b) and to
reimburse the General Obligation Bond Expense Revolving Fund pursuant
to Section 16724.5 of the Government Code. The bonds, when sold,
shall be and constitute a valid and binding obligation of the State
of California, and the full faith and credit of the State of
California is hereby pledged for the punctual payment of both
principal of, and interest on, the bonds as the principal and
interest become due and payable.
(b) (1) The proceeds of
bonds issued and sold pursuant to this section shall be made
available to the board for the purposes of the construction,
rehabilitation, and preservation of multifamily housing that is
affordable, supportive, and transitional. The bond proceeds shall
only be used for units designated for veterans and their families
creating a fund to provide multifamily housing and
services to veterans and their families pursuant to the Veterans
Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014 (Article 3.2 (commencing
with Section 987.001), and any subsequent statutory
enactment that amends that act or enacts or amends any successor act
.
(2) The program established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be
administered by the board, in collaboration with the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(3) The board shall establish a program to focus on veterans at
risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or chronic
homelessness.
(4) To the extent feasible, the board shall establish and
implement programs that, among other things, do the following:
(A) Leverage public (federal, state, and local), private, and
nonprofit program and fiscal resources.
(B) Prioritize projects that combine housing and supportive
services, such as job training, mental health and drug treatment, or
physical rehabilitation.
(C) Promote public and private partnerships.
(D) Foster innovative financing opportunities.
(5)
(c) The Legislature may, from time to time, by majority
vote, amend the provisions of this act for the purpose of improving
program efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability, or for the
purpose of furthering overall program goals.
(c)
(d) The proceeds of bonds issued and sold pursuant to
this article shall be deposited in the Housing for Veterans Fund,
which is hereby created.
(d) Bonds
(e) The proceeds of the bonds
deposited in the Housing for Veterans Fund shall be subject to annual
appropriation, as determined by the Legislature.
998.546. The bonds authorized by this article shall be prepared,
executed, issued, sold, paid, and redeemed as provided in the State
General Obligation Bond Law (Chapter 4 (commencing with Section
16720) of Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code),
and all of the provisions of that law, except subdivisions (a)
and (b) of Section 16727 of the Government Code, shall apply to
the bonds and to this article and are hereby incorporated in this
article as though set forth in full in this article.
998.547. Solely for the purpose of authorizing the issuance and
sale pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law of the bonds
authorized by this article, the Housing for Veterans Finance
Committee is hereby created. For purposes of this article, the
Housing for Veterans Finance Committee is "the committee" as that
term is used in the State General Obligation Bond Law. The committee
consists of the Controller, Treasurer, Director of Finance,
and the Director of Housing and Community Development,
Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing, and Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, or their designated representatives. The
Treasurer shall serve as chairperson of the committee. A majority of
the committee may act for the committee.
998.548. The committee shall determine whether or not it is
necessary or desirable to issue bonds authorized pursuant to this
article in order to carry out the actions specified in Section
998.544 and, if so, the amount of bonds to be issued and sold.
Successive issues of bonds may be authorized and sold to carry out
those actions progressively, and it is not necessary that all of the
bonds authorized to be issued be sold at any one time.
998.549. There shall be collected each year and in the same
manner and at the same time as other state revenue is collected, in
addition to the ordinary revenues of the state, a sum in an amount
required to pay the principal of, and interest on, the bonds each
year. It is the duty of all officers charged by law with any duty in
regard to the collection of the revenue to do and perform each and
every act that is necessary to collect that additional sum.
998.550. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code,
there is hereby appropriated from the General Fund in the State
Treasury, for the purposes of this article, an amount that will equal
the total of the following:
(a) The sum annually necessary to pay the principal of, and
interest on, bonds issued and sold pursuant to this article, as the
principal and interest become due and payable.
(b) The sum necessary to carry out Section 998.551, appropriated
without regard to fiscal years.
998.551. For the purposes of carrying out this article, the
Director of Finance may authorize the withdrawal from the General
Fund of an amount not to exceed the amount of the unsold bonds that
have been authorized by the committee to be sold for the purpose of
carrying out this article. Any amounts withdrawn shall be deposited
in the fund. Any money made available under this section shall be
returned to the General Fund from proceeds received from the sale of
bonds for the purpose of carrying out this article.
998.552. All money deposited in the fund that is derived from
premium and accrued interest on bonds sold
sold, in excess of any amount of premium used to pay costs of issuing
the bonds, shall be reserved in the fund and shall be
available for transfer to the General Fund as a credit to
expenditures for bond interest.
998.553. Pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 16720) of
Part 3 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code, all or
a portion of the cost of bond issuance shall
may be paid out of the bond proceeds
proceeds, including any premium derived from the sale of the
bonds . These costs shall be shared proportionally by each
program funded through this bond act.
998.554. The board may request the Pooled Money Investment Board
to make a loan from the Pooled Money Investment Account, including
other authorized forms of interim financing that include, but are not
limited to, commercial paper, in accordance with Section 16312 of
the Government Code, for purposes of carrying out this article. The
amount of the request shall not exceed the amount of the unsold bonds
that the committee, by resolution, has authorized to be sold for the
purpose of carrying out this article. The board shall execute any
documents required by the Pooled Money Investment Board to obtain and
repay the loan. Any amounts loaned shall be deposited in the fund to
be allocated by the board in accordance with this article.
998.555. The bonds may be refunded in accordance with Article 6
(commencing with Section 16780) of Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 4
of Title 2 of the Government Code, which is a part of the State
General Obligation Bond Law. Approval by the voters of the state for
the issuance of the bonds described in this article includes the
approval of the issuance of any bonds issued to refund any bonds
originally issued under this article or any previously issued
refunding bonds.
998.556. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, or
of the State General Obligation Bond Law, if the Treasurer
sells bonds pursuant to this article that include a bond counsel
opinion to the effect that the interest on the bonds is excluded from
gross income for federal tax purposes, subject to designated
conditions, the Treasurer may maintain separate accounts
for the investment of bond proceeds and for the investment of
earnings on those proceeds. The Treasurer may use or direct the use
of those proceeds or earnings to pay any rebate, penalty, or other
payment required under federal law or take any other action with
respect to the investment and use of those bond proceeds required or
desirable under federal tax law to maintain the
tax exempt status of those bonds and or to
obtain any other advantage under federal law on behalf of the funds
of this state.
998.557. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, inasmuch
as the proceeds from the sale of bonds authorized by this article
are not "proceeds of taxes" as that term is used in Article XIII B of
the California Constitution, the disbursement of these proceeds is
not subject to the limitations imposed by that article.
SEC. 2. Section 998.403 of the Military
and Veterans Code is amended to read:
998.403. For the purpose of creating a fund to provide farm and
home aid for veterans in accordance with the Veterans' Farm and Home
Purchase Act of 1974 (Article 3.1 (commencing with Section 987.50)),
and of all acts amendatory thereof and supplemental thereto, the
committee may create a debt or debts, liability or liabilities, of
the State of California, in the aggregate amount of not more than
nine three hundred million dollars
($900,000,000) ($300,000,000) ,
exclusive of refunding bonds, in the manner provided herein.
SEC. 3. Article 3.2 (commencing with Section
987.001) is added to Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the
Military and Veterans Code , to read:
Article 3.2. The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act
of 2014
987.001. This article may be cited as the Veterans Housing and
Homeless Prevention Act of 2014.
987.002. (a) The purpose of this article is to provide the
acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of
affordable multifamily supportive housing, affordable multifamily
transitional housing, or related facilities and services for veterans
and their families.
(b) A program established under this article shall be restricted
to veterans and their families.
987.003. As used in this article:
(a) "Board" means the California Housing Finance Agency, the
Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department
of Veterans Affairs.
(b) "Supportive housing" has the same meaning as defined in
paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 1504.5 of the Health and
Safety Code.
(c) "Transitional housing" has the same meaning as defined in
subdivision (h) of Section 50675.2 of the Health and Safety Code.
987.004. The administration of this article is vested solely in
the board.
987.005. (a) The board shall do all of the following:
(1) Establish and implement programs pursuant to the purposes of
this article that focus on veterans at risk for homelessness or
experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness. To the extent
feasible, the board shall establish and implement programs that,
among other things, do the following:
(A) Leverage public (federal, state, and local), private, and
nonprofit program and fiscal resources.
(B) Prioritize projects that combine housing and supportive
services, such as job training, mental health and drug treatment, or
physical rehabilitation.
(C) Promote public and private partnerships.
(D) Foster innovative financing opportunities.
(2) Approve issuance of Notices of Funding Availability.
(3) Review and score responses from the Notices of Funding
Availability.
(4) Score project applications.
(b) The board may review and adopt guidelines or regulations, or
both, to implement this article.
987.006. (a) No later than March 4, 2015, the Department of
Veterans Affairs shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with
the Department of Housing and Community Development and the
California Housing Finance Agency to address their respective and
shared responsibilities in implementing, overseeing, and evaluating
this article.
(b) No later than March 4, 2015, the board shall submit the
memorandum of understanding to the Senate and Assembly Budget
Committees.
987.007. The board shall convene a stakeholder process to inform
the development of guidelines for the implementation of any program
pursuant to this article. Stakeholders
represented shall include, but not be limited to,
organizations that have experience providing housing or homeless
services, or both, to veterans, housing developers, and public and
private agencies that serve the veteran population.
987.008. (a) Pursuant to guidelines or regulations developed
pursuant to this article, nothing in this article shall preclude a
housing provider from redesignating units within a project, so long
as the same number of units financed under this act remain restricted
to veterans and their families.
(b) Pursuant to guidelines or regulations pursuant to this
article, any units financed as supportive or transitional housing
units may be redesignated as affordable or supportive to allow a
veteran resident to remain housed in the project.
SEC. 4. Section 50408 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
50408. (a) On or before December 31 of each year, the department
shall submit an annual report to the Governor and both houses of the
Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the
previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the
department, including, but not limited to, the Emergency Housing and
Assistance Program and Community Development Block Grant activity.
(b) The report shall include all of the following information:
(1) The number of units assisted by those programs.
(2) The number of individuals and households served and their
income levels.
(3) The distribution of units among various areas of the state.
(4) The amount of other public and private funds leveraged by the
assistance provided by those programs.
(5) Information detailing the assistance provided to various
groups of persons by programs that are targeted to assist those
groups.
(6) The information required to be reported pursuant to Section
17031.8.
(7) An evaluation, in collaboration with the Department of
Veterans Affairs, of any program established by the department
pursuant to Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 987.001) of Chapter
6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code.
SEC. 5. Section 50501 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
50501. The department may furnish counseling and guidance
services to aid any governmental agency or any private or nonprofit
organization or persons in securing the financial aid or cooperation
of government agencies in the undertaking, construction, maintenance,
operation, or financing of housing for Indians, farm laborers and
their families, persons and families displaced by action of any state
or local public entity, workers engaged in cutting, processing,
milling, handling, or shipping lumber or lumber products, the
families of such workers, veterans, the elderly and
handicapped, and persons and families of low or moderate income. The
department may contract for or sponsor, subject to the availability
of federal funds, experimental or demonstration projects for
permanently fixed or mobile housing designed to meet the special
needs of agricultural workers, persons displaced by action of any
local public entity, the handicapped, the elderly, veterans,
Indians, and persons and families of low or moderate income.
Such contracts or sponsorship agreements may be between the
department and local public entities, private enterprise, or
nonprofit organizations.
SEC. 6. Section 50505 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
50505. The department may enter into agreements to provide
staffing to assist government agencies in the conduct of federal loan
and grant programs for the provision of housing for veterans
and persons and families of low or moderate income
low- or moder ate-income in this
state.
SEC. 7. Section 50510 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
50510. The department shall develop and, subject to specific
authorization and appropriation by the Legislature or the
availability of federal subsidies, implement demonstration subsidy
programs to test the effectiveness of one or more housing subsidy
programs for veterans, very low income households
households, or other persons and families of
low or moderate income. Such programs may include housing allowance
payments, homeownership downpayment assistance, homeownership
interest subsidy, leased housing subleased to very low income
households, rent supplement payments on behalf of very low income
households, or other types of subsidy programs.
SEC. 8. Section 50512 of the Health and
Safety Code is amended to read:
50512. The department may provide technical assistance and aid to
governmental agencies, nonprofit corporations, and housing sponsors
for the purpose of providing the benefits of assisted housing to
veterans, very low income households
households, and persons and families of low or moderate income
which are handicapped or in which the head of household has been
previously confined to institutional care. Subject to the
availability of staff resources, the department shall coordinate its
technical assistance activities and loan and grant programs in order
to increase participation and understanding of those activities and
programs by public and private groups and individuals seeking to
expand or improve housing opportunities for veterans, the
elderly elderly, or the
handicapped.
SEC. 4. SEC. 9. Sections 1
to 3, inclusive, Section 1 of this act shall
take effect upon the approval by the voters of the Veterans Housing
and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014, as set forth in
Section 3 of this act that section .
SEC. 5. SEC. 10. (a) Notwithstanding
Sections 9040, 9043, 9044, 9061, 9094, and 13115 of the Elections
Code or any other law, a ballot measure that sets forth
Sections 1 to 3, inclusive, Section 1 of this
act shall be submitted to the voters at the November 4, 2014, general
election.
(b) The Secretary of State shall ensure the placement of the
ballot measure as set forth in Sections 1 to 3, inclusive,
Section 1 of this act on the November 4, 2014,
general election ballot, in substantial compliance with any statutory
time requirements applicable to the submission of statewide measures
to the voters at a statewide election.
(c) The Secretary of State shall include, in the ballot pamphlet
mailed pursuant to Section 9094 of the Elections Code, the
information specified in Section 9084 of the Elections Code regarding
the provisions contained in Sections 1 to 3, inclusive,
Section 1 of this act.
SEC. 6. SEC. 11. This act is an
urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the
public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of
the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts
constituting the necessity are:
In order that Section 1 of this act be included on the
November 4, 2014, general election ballot for purposes of assisting
veterans at the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act
take effect immediately.