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 10 most expensive rental
11markets, four are located in California; and
12WHEREAS, The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is
13$3,590 in San Francisco, $2,290 in San Jose, $2,270 in Oakland,
14and $1,970 in Los Angeles; and
15WHEREAS, San Francisco’s Point-in-Time Homeless Count in
162015 identified 7,539 homeless adults and youth, a 7-percent
17increase since 2005; and
18WHEREAS, A report by the San Francisco Budget and
19Legislative Analyst’s Office found that while the initial costs
20associated with housing homeless residents increased when those
21individuals entered supportive housing, the city’s costs were
22reduced drastically as those formerly homeless individuals were
23stabilized; and
24WHEREAS, The County of Los Angeles now has an estimated
2546,874 homeless people on any given night, up nearly 6 percent
P2 1from last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services
2Authority; and
3WHEREAS, On any given night in Sacramento, more than 2,500
4individuals are without a home, and an estimated 5,200 more will
5become homeless over the course of the next year; and
6WHEREAS, San Diego’s homeless population rose to 8,742 in
72015 from 8,506 in 2014, a 2.8 percent increase that makes the
8homeless population in San Diego one
of the top four in the nation,
9and 1,100 of that homeless population are veterans; and
10WHEREAS, In 2015, the homeless population in Fresno
11increased for the first time in almost eight years; and
12WHEREAS, Homelessness has risen to historic levels throughout
13the state, and now is the time for state action; and
14WHEREAS, Being homeless is dangerous, especially for youth
15in San Francisco who experience a mortality rate more than 10
16times higher than that of the state’s general youth population; and
17WHEREAS, In March of 2016, the San Francisco Board of
18Supervisors requested Governor Brown to issue a statewide
19declaration of emergency to help coordinate the response and
20resources for homeless individuals and families; and
21WHEREAS, The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously
22approved an unprecedented
plan to address the crisis in the county
23by allocating $100 million in one-time funding for homeless
24services; and
25WHEREAS, The City of Los Angeles has already declared a
26state of emergency as it relates to the lack of shelter for homeless
27in the city; now, therefore, be it
28Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate
29respectfully requests that Governor Brown declare a state of
30emergency on homelessness; and be it further
31Resolved, That the Senate recognizes that the challenge of
32confronting homelessness requires the active engagement and
33leadership of all branches of government; and be it further
34Resolved, That the Senate must prioritize taking action on
35homelessness prior to the adjournment of the 2015-16 Regular
36Session of the Legislature; and be it further
P3 1Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
2this resolution to the Governor and to the author for appropriate
3distribution.
O
99