P1 1WHEREAS, Homelessness is one of the most pervasive issues
2facing California today; and
3WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of
4Housing and Urban Development, there were 115,738 homeless
5people in California in 2015, by far the most of any state in the
6nation; and
7WHEREAS, Rising rents, rapidly declining numbers of
8low-income housing units, and slow wage growth have all
9contributed to homelessness; and
10WHEREAS, Of the nation’s top ten most expensive rental
11markets, four are located in California; and
12WHEREAS, The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in
13San Francisco is $3,590, in San Jose is $2,290, in Oakland is
14$2,270, and in Los Angeles is $1,970; and
P2 1WHEREAS, San Francisco’s Point-in-Time Homeless Count
2in 2015 identified 7,539 homeless adults and youths, a 7 percent
3increase since 2005; and
4WHEREAS, A report by the San Francisco Budget and
5Legislative Analyst’s Office found that while the initial costs
6associated with housing homeless residents increased when those
7individuals entered supportive housing, the city’s costs were
8reduced drastically as those formerly homeless individuals were
9stabilized; and
10WHEREAS, The County of Los Angeles now has an estimated
1146,874 homeless people on any given night, up nearly 6 percent
12from last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services
13Authority; and
14WHEREAS, On any given night in Sacramento, more than 2,500
15individuals are without a home, and an estimated 5,200 more will
16become homeless over the course of the next year; and
17WHEREAS, San Diego’s homeless population rose to 8,742 in
182015 from 8,506 in 2014, a 2.8% increase that makes the homeless
19population in San Diego one of the top four in the nation, and
201,100 of that homeless population are veterans; and
21WHEREAS, In 2015, the homeless population in Fresno
22increased for the first time in almost 8 years; and
23WHEREAS, Homelessness has risen to historic levels
24throughout the state, and now is the time for state action; and
25WHEREAS, Being homeless is dangerous, especially for youth,
26in San Francisco, experience a mortality rate more than 10 times
27higher than that of the state’s general youth population; and
28WHEREAS, In March of 2016, the San Francisco Board of
29Supervisors requested Governor Brown to issue a statewide
30declaration of emergency to help coordinate the response and
31resources for homeless individuals and families; and
32WHEREAS, The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
33unanimously approved an unprecedented plan to address the crisis
34in the county by allocating $100 million in one-time funding for
35homeless services; and
36WHEREAS, The City of Los Angeles has already declared a
37state of emergency as it relates to the lack of shelter for homeless
38in the city; now, therefore, be it
P3 1Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
2Assembly requests that Governor Brown declare a state of
3emergency on homelessness; and be it further
4Resolved, That the Assembly recognizes that the challenge of
5confronting homelessness requires the active engagement and
6leadership of all arms of government; and be it further
7Resolved, That the Legislature must prioritize taking action on
8homelessness prior to the adjournment of the 2015-16 Regular
9Session of the Legislature; and be it further
10Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
11of this resolution to the Governor for the appropriate distribution.
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