BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 998
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Date of Hearing: April 17, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Norma Torres, Chair
AB 998 (Fong) - As Amended: April 8, 2013
SUBJECT : Interagency Council on Homelessness
SUMMARY : Creates the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness (council) and requires various state agencies to
meet quarterly to coordinate efforts on homelessness.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations.
2)Defines the following terms:
a) "Council" means the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness; and
b) "Stakeholder organization" means a nonprofit or
faith-based organization whose primary mission is to
prevent or end homelessness, to provide services or health
care to people who are homeless, or to create housing for
people who are homeless.
3)Creates the council, whose mission is to construct
cross-agency and community cooperation in responding to
homelessness and to identify and apply for increased federal
funding to respond to homelessness.
4)Requires the Governor to designate a lead agency or
representative from the Governor's staff to direct the
council's work.
5)Requires the council membership to include:
a) At least one representative with decision-making
authority from each of the following:
i) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation;
ii) Department of Housing and Community Development;
iii) Health and Human Services Agency;
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iv) Department of Social Services; and,
v) Department of Veterans Affairs.
b) Two representatives from local law enforcement, county
or city government, or organizations representing these
interests, with one appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules (Senate Rules) and the other by the Speaker of the
Assembly (Speaker);
c) Representatives from two stakeholder organizations, with
one to be appointed by Senate Rules and the other by the
Speaker;
d) Two individuals who have experienced homelessness, with
one to be appointed by Senate Rules and the other by the
Speaker; and,
e) A chair and vice-chair, to be appointed by the Governor.
6)Requires the council to:
a) Meet quarterly;
b) Seek all available funding to fund the council and its
activities;
c) Operate within the current budget of each department and
agency represented, as specified. Each department and
agency shall cooperate with the council and furnish it with
information and assistance that is necessary or useful
pursuant to this bill; and,
d) Serve without compensation, except that consumer
representatives shall receive minimal compensation if
private funds are available.
7)Authorizes the council to:
a) Act as the lead for coordinating and planning the
state's response to homelessness if necessary as a
requirement to apply for federal funding;
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b) Establish working groups, task forces, or other
structures to assist in its work, within current costs or
with private support;
c) Engage or accept the services of agency personnel and
nonprofit organizations, or employ council staff with
private or non-state funding; and,
d) Invite stakeholders to participate in meetings or
provide information to the council.
EXISTING LAW tasks several agencies with responsibilities
related to homelessness.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
California has the largest population of persons experiencing
homelessness of any state in the country. The Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that on a single
night in 2008, California communities counting people living on
the streets or in shelters reported a total of 157,277 homeless
persons. Over 380,000 people are homeless for some period of
time during the course of each year in California. The state has
one of the highest rates of homelessness, with one in every 230
residents homeless at any point in time, and one in every 95
residents homeless at some point during the course of a year. In
the rest of the country, most homeless people are sheltered,
temporarily living in shelters or in transitional housing. In
California, 70 percent of homeless people live unsheltered, the
largest percentage in the nation.
Purpose of this bill : According to one of the co-sponsors of
this bill, "the State of California continues to have a
fragmented approach in dealing with homelessness. The state
lacks coordination between state agencies, local government, and
non-profit organizations. AB 998 will establish an Interagency
Council on Homelessness in the state consisting of
representatives from multiple jurisdictions. California is the
only large state not to have an active Interagency Council on
Homelessness. The purpose of this council is to improve
efficiency, streamline resources, create better coordination,
and provide a forum where information and ideas can be discussed
and shared.
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An active agency comprised of state and local representatives
will create an innovative perspective to streamline resources,
improve efficiency, reduce duplication, create greater
accountability from state government, and generate federal
funding. The Interagency Council on Homelessness will improve
state systems by coordinating between state and local
governments, and the private sector to create an integrated
process where proposals and information can be shared to produce
cost-effective solutions. Designated personnel at existing
agencies who work on homelessness will staff the Council. It is
crucial a State Interagency Council be established through
multi-agency and community cooperation to create effectual and
supportive methods to address, and possibly end, homelessness in
the State of California."
California is one of only a handful of states that does not have
an interagency council on homelessness. More than 10 California
agencies administer programs affecting homelessness. Agency
collaboration on homelessness has yielded very successful
outcomes in California including a 100% decrease in homelessness
among participants in the Mental Health Services Act Housing
Program. Yet, too often, program requirements administered by
one agency conflict with program requirements administered by
another or replicate efforts of agency staff. For these reasons,
California's approach to homelessness is siloed, sometimes
inefficient, and frequently inconsistent.
The health, personal, and economic challenges that chronically
homeless individuals and families face and the lack of
effective, coordinated services to address these problems often
lead to a vicious cycle of housing instability and health
deterioration. Health conditions of those experiencing
long-term homelessness often prevent housing stability, while
persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and
employment services. Consequently, people who are chronically
homeless cycle through costly emergency-driven public systems -
emergency shelters, emergency rooms, detoxification centers,
criminal justice facilities - without getting the ongoing care
they need to address severe mental illness, substance abuse
disorders, or chronic health conditions. People who experience
multiple episodes of homelessness, who are chronically homeless,
or who frequently use avoidable crisis services use a
disproportionate share of public resources.
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Policy academy to reduce chronic homelessness : In the fall of
last year, the Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) received a technical assistance grant from the U.S.
Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH) to participate in a
Policy Academy to reduce the prevalence of chronic homelessness,
sponsored jointly by several U.S. ICH member agencies.
California was one of just nine states invited to apply, and
four were selected for participation. The Policy Academy is
intended to bring together a team of federal and state experts
and practitioners with a focus on short-term actions that can
impact chronic homelessness in the state. Over the next several
months, the Policy Academy intends to learn from successful
state and local efforts and practices and to explore new
opportunities for collaboration, coordination and innovation.
The initial focus of the Policy Academy is on state investment
and coordination strategies and partnerships and actions that do
the following:
Increase access to permanent supportive housing by
persons experiencing chronic
homelessness;
Leverage and incentivize local crisis response systems
moving toward permanent housing, rapid re-housing, and
targeted engagement; and
Increase access and impact of mainstream resources,
particularly given healthcare reform, both within permanent
supportive housing and for individuals still living on the
streets.
Previous legislation: In 2011, AB 1167 (Fong), which was
largely identical to this bill, was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Corporation for Supportive Housing (co-sponsor)
Housing California (co-sponsor)
A Community of Friends
California Catholic Conference of Bishops
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
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Desert Manna
First Place for Youth
Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor
Homeward Bound of Marin
Larkin Street Youth Services
Mutual Housing California
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California
PATH San Diego
Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee
Tenderloin Neighborhood Development
United Homeless Healthcare Partners
Western Center on Law & Poverty
Yolo Community Care Continuum
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085