BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 388
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Date of Hearing: April 28, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS
Jacqui Irwin, Chair
AB 388
(Chang) - As Amended April 9, 2015
SUBJECT: Housing: homeless veterans: reports
SUMMARY: Requires the Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD), in collaboration with the Department of
Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to include specified information
relating to the effectiveness of the Veterans Housing and
Homeless Prevention (VHHP) Bond Act of 2014 in an annual report.
Specifically, this bill: Requires the annual report to include
the following information:
1)Performance outcome data, which must include:
a) Housing stability information, including:
i) How many tenants maintained housing and the length
of time those tenants spent in housing;
ii) How many tenants move on to other housing, excluding
tenants who move on for a higher level of care and those
tenants who died during tenancy.
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b) Housing exit information, including:
2)How many tenants left housing;
3)The dates those tenants left housing;
4)The reason those tenants left housing; and
5)Where tenants who have left housing find new housing.
a) Tenant satisfaction as measured by a survey; and
b) Changes in income, benefits, and education.
6)Client data, which may include:
7)Demographic characteristics of the veteran and his or her
family;
8)Educational and employment status of the veteran; and
9)Veteran-specific information including disability ratings,
type of discharge, branch, era of service, and veterans
affairs health care eligibility.
EXISTING LAW:
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1)Establishes the VHHP (Proposition 41), an initiative enacted
by the voters in the June 3, 2014 primary election,
authorizing $600 million in bonds for the acquisition,
construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable
multifamily supportive housing, affordable multifamily
transitional housing, or related facilities for veterans and
their families (Military and Veterans Code Section 998.540, et
seq.).
2)Requires the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), HCD,
and CalVet to work collaboratively to carry out the duties and
functions of the VHHP Act (Military and Veterans Code Section
987.002).
3)Requires HCD to 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 HCD (Health and Safety Code
Section 50408).
4)Requires HCD's annual report to include, among other things,
an evaluation, in collaboration with CalVet, of any program
established by HCD pursuant to the VHHP Act (Health and Safety
Code Section 50408).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
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COMMENTS:
Although perfect counts are impossible to come by - the
transient nature of homeless populations presents a major
difficulty - the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) estimates that, nationwide, 49,933 veterans
are homeless on any given night.
Further, approximately 12,700 veterans of Operation Enduring
Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation New
Dawn (OND) were homeless in 2010. The number of young homeless
veterans is increasing and currently constitutes 8.8% of the
overall homeless veteran population.
The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014 was
created to expand housing and service options for veterans,
cost-effectively leverage public dollars, reduce the number of
homeless veterans and the attendant public costs, and place
California at the forefront of our nation's efforts to end
veterans' homelessness by 2016. The focus of the VHHP Act is on
housing for veterans who are homeless or at risk for
homelessness and in need of services such as mental health
counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, and
physical therapy to address injuries.
As noted by the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community
Development:
Existing law requires HCD to 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 HCD. The annual report must
include an evaluation, in collaboration with CalVet, of any
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program established by HCD pursuant to the VHHP.
The VHHP Program guidelines require local governments and
non-profits receiving VHHP funds for supportive and/or
transitional housing to report to HCD and/or CalVet on client
data and performance outcome data. Among other things, the
guidelines provide that performance outcome data may include
an array of information, such as "information on housing
stability, housing exit information, tenant satisfaction as
measured in a survey, and changes in income, benefits and
education." While performance outcome and client data are
mandatory, there are no required criteria for what this data
must include. AB 388 would require the inclusion of a
specific set of data, partially based on suggested criteria
within the program guidelines, in HCD's annual report.
According to the author:
Under the program guidelines adopted in February,
entities that receive funding pursuant to Proposition
41, also known as sponsors, will be required to submit
reports on their respective programs. However
information on the effectiveness of these programs is
not required in these reports. AB 388 will provide
Californians and policy makers with the data necessary
to demonstrate that the $600 million approved under
Prop. 41 is providing sufficient services for
California's veterans.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
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American Legion-Department of California
AMVETS-Department of California
California Association of County Veterans Services Officers
California Council of Community Mental Health Agencies
Mental Health America of California
Military Officers Association-California Council of Chapters
Steinberg Institute
Veterans of Foreign Wars-Department of California
Vietnam Veterans of America California State Council
Opposition
None on File.
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Analysis Prepared by:John Spangler / V.A. / (916) 319-3550