BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1699
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 29, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Susan Bonilla, Chair
AB 1699
(Kim) - As Amended March 28, 2016
SUBJECT: Homeless youth emergency service projects
SUMMARY: Expands homeless youth emergency service projects to
additional counties and requires these projects to provide
transitional living services.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Expands upon current Legislative findings and declarations
regarding homeless youth and makes a Legislative declaration
regarding the importance of transitional living programs to
positive outcomes for homeless youth.
2)Adds transitional living services for homeless youth ages 18
to 24, as specified and for a period of up to 36 months, to
the list of required services to be provided by homeless youth
emergency service projects.
3)Requires the Office of Emergency Services (OES) to establish
additional homeless youth emergency service projects in Orange
County and in other counties, with a priority given to
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counties that lack existing services for runaway and homeless
youth.
4)Requires OES to prepare and disseminate requests for proposals
for these new projects, as specified, by March 31, 2017.
5)Appropriates $25 million from the General Fund to OES to
provide additional funding for homeless youth emergency
services, as specified.
6)Makes technical changes.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes homeless youth emergency service projects in Los
Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Santa Clara counties.
(WIC 13700 et seq.)
2)Requires each homeless youth emergency project to provide
services, as specified and including, but not limited to: food
and access to overnight shelter; counseling to address
immediate emotional crises or problems; outreach services;
screening for basic health needs and referral to public and
private agencies for health care; linkage to other services;
long-term stabilization planning; and follow-up services to
ensure that any return to the family or placement outside of
the family is stable. (WIC 13701)
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3)Requires each of the four county-based projects to be operated
by an agency in accordance with a grant award agreement with
the Office of Criminal Justice Planning (now the Office of
Emergency Services [OES]), and permits each project to have
one central location or more than one location, as specified.
Further requires that, to be eligible, grantees must be
private, nonprofit agencies with a demonstrated record of
success in the delivery of services to homeless youth, and
sets criteria for granting preference, as specified. (WIC
13703)
4)Requires OES to monitor the homeless youth emergency service
projects, as specified. (WIC 13704)
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS:
Homeless youth in California: The federal McKinney-Vento
Homeless Assistance Act of 2001 defines homeless children and
youths as individuals who "lack a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence," to include children and youths who: have
to share housing with others due to loss of housing or economic
hardship; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp
grounds because they lack other accommodations; are living in
emergency or transitional shelters; are awaiting foster
placement; or have a primary nighttime residence that is not
designed as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
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According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development's 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to
Congress, on a single night in January 2015, California reported
having 10,416 homeless unaccompanied youth; this equaled 28% of
the national total. California also reported having the largest
number (9,524) of unaccompanied homeless youth ages 18 to 24.
However, these counts only reflect the population of homeless
youth counted on one night. It is estimated that, throughout
the course of the year, many more youth experience homelessness.
For example, the Californian Homeless Youth Project reported
that, for the 2012-13 school year, nearly 270,000 students
experienced homelessness in California.
In 2011, the California Homeless Youth Project conducted a
point-in-time study to try to assess how many programs in the
state provided services and support specifically to
unaccompanied homeless youth, ultimately identifying 53
programs, from street outreach to transitional living, aimed at
reaching unaccompanied homeless youth. Thirty counties were
found to have no services of any kind specifically for homeless
youth.
Homeless youth emergency service projects: The Homeless Youth
Act of 1985 (AB 1596, Chapter 1445, Statutes of 1985)
established pilot projects to develop a network of youth
services in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and required the
state to collect data on runaway youths in Santa Clara and San
Diego counties. This bill appropriated state General Fund
monies to the former Office of Criminal Justice Planning to
administer the program. SB 508, Chapter 288, Statutes of 1988,
extended the Homeless Youth Act, deleting references to pilot
projects and making provisions permanent.
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Today, the Homeless Youth and Exploitation Program is
administered by OES and operates in four agencies, each
representing a separate county: San Diego Youth Services,
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Larkin Street Youth Services
(San Francisco), and the Bill Wilson Center (Santa Clara
County). Total 2015-16 funding for the projects is almost $1.1
million, $356,000 of which is General Fund (the remaining funds
are State Victim Witness Assistance Funds).
OES has reported that, for the 2013-14 fiscal year, the Homeless
Youth and Exploitation Program (across all four county
projects), among other things: provided 8,877 youth with
outreach services; provided 667 youth with shelter; assisted 223
youth with family reunification; and provided training on
independent living and survival skills to 1,041 youth.
Need for this bill: According to the author, this bill, "would
provide a comprehensive services plan and funding to help
address California's growing homeless youth crisis. Current
services specific for homeless youth are woefully inadequate and
more needs to be done to address homelessness at a young age.
By providing the tools and addressing their needs while young,
we can correct some of the factors that lead to being a
chronically homeless adult."
Staff comments: This bill proposes a significant expansion of
homeless youth emergency service projects, and substantial
increase in funding made available for these projects (from just
over $1 million dollars [$356,000 of which is General Fund] to
$25 million General Fund). It is important to ensure that these
projects are selected and funds distributed in a transparent and
consistent manner that best realizes this bill's intent to
target underserved areas. OES could play a lead role, alongside
stakeholders representing homeless youth, in setting clear
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criteria for the selection of grantees and allotment of grant
funds across these grantees.
Additionally, given this bill's proposal for a large expansion
of projects across the state and considerable increase in use of
General Fund dollars, heightened oversight may be warranted.
Should this bill move forward, the author may wish to consider
including provisions to ensure oversight, such as requiring OES
to produce a periodic report for the Legislature detailing the
use of these funds and observed outcomes for California's
homeless youth.
Suggested amendments: In order to ensure projects are selected
and funds are awarded in a transparent and consistent fashion
that strives to achieve this bill's goal of targeting
underserved areas, committee staff recommends the following
amendments, starting on line 19 of page 4 of the bill:
11
13703. (a)One homeless youth emergency service project
12
shall be established in the County of Los Angeles and one shall
13
be established in the City and County of San Francisco. One
14
homeless youth emergency service project shall also be
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established
15
in the County of San Diego, one shall be established in the
County
16
of Santa Clara, and one shall be established in the County of
17
Orange. Diego, and one shall be established in the County of
Santa
18
Clara. The office may shall establish additional homeless youth
19
emergency service projects in the County of Orange and other
20
counties, with a priority given to underserved counties.
counties
21
that lack existing services for runaway and homeless youth. The
office shall, with the input of stakeholders, develop criteria
for the selection of grantees and determination of grant
amounts. Stakeholders shall include, but not be limited to,
current and former homeless youth, and advocacy groups serving
homeless youth. Each
22
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project may have one central location or may have more than one
23
location in the service area in order to serve effectively the
area
24
population of homeless youth. Each project shall be operated by
25
an agency in accordance with the grant award agreement with the
26
office.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
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Support
American Academy of Pediatrics, CA (AAP-CA)
Aspiranet
California Catholic Conference
California Coalition for Youth (CCY)
Children Now
Family Assistance Program
Fastenau & Associates
Home State Inc.
San Diego Youth Services
Opposition
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Daphne Hunt / HUM. S. / (916) 319-2089