BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 866| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: SB 866 Author: Roth (D) Amended: 3/14/16 Vote: 21 SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: 4-0, 4/12/16 AYES: Nielsen, Hueso, Allen, Roth NO VOTE RECORDED: Nguyen SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 6-0, 5/9/16 AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen NO VOTE RECORDED: Bates SUBJECT: Veterans housing SOURCE: Author DIGEST: This bill authorizes a housing developer or service provider that receives bond moneys under the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014 (VHHP), to provide housing or services to veterans and their children in women-only facilities in limited instances, as specified. ANALYSIS: Existing law: 1)Enacts the VHHP, also known as Proposition 41, which authorizes the issuance of $600 million in general obligation bonds to provide multifamily housing to veterans pursuant to the VHHP. SB 866 Page 2 2)Requires specified state departments to collaborate in establishing and implementing VHHP housing programs that focus on veterans at risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness. (Department of Housing and Community (HCD), Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet, California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA)) 3)Requires the departments, to the extent feasible, to prioritize VHHP projects that combine housing and supportive services, including, but not limited to, job training, mental health and drug treatment, case management, care coordination, or physical rehabilitation. 4)Prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin/ancestry, familial status (households with children under age 18), source of income, disability, and age. This bill: 1)Establishes the "Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2016: Proposition 41 Expenditures: Military Sexual Trauma." 2)Defines, for specified purposes, "women-only facilities" as those that may house and provide services to female veterans only and their children, and shall not house or provide services to any adult who is not a dependent of a female veteran. 3)Provides that a housing developer or service provider - that receives VHHP bond moneys - may provide housing or services to female veterans and their children in women-only facilities in limited instances, specifically when a female veteran: a) Has suffered any form of sexual abuse, trauma, or intimidation or harassment while serving in the military and is seeking treatment for that sexual abuse, trauma, or intimidation or harassment, or (B) is seeking the housing or services as a result of being a victim of sexual abuse or domestic violence; or b) Is seeking the housing or services as a result of being a victim of sexual abuse or domestic violence. SB 866 Page 3 4)Provides that a housing developer or service provider that provides housing or services to female veterans in women-only facilities pursuant to paragraph (1) shall ensure that the housing or services shall provide supportive housing or services with a focus on, among others, treating the effects of military sexual abuse, trauma, or intimidation in a gender-specific manner. 5)Makes legislative findings and declarations: a) The significant number of women veterans, as a percentage of all veterans, and also as California's share of the nation's total population of women veterans. b) The statistical percentage of women veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). c) The life-changing consequences of MST on victims, including, for example, the increased risks post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of becoming homeless following separation from the military. d) The need to ensure that women veterans, particularly those who have suffered MST and its negative consequences, receive women-centered treatment, which has been demonstrated to be "the most important factor contributing to their comfort" with federal veterans' benefit services. e) Providing gender-specific treatment and housing, pursuant to this act: i) Serves a compelling state interest, which interest is providing the best possible treatment to female veterans, who have served our country and who now face additional hurdles that disproportionately affect female veterans over male veterans. ii) Is substantially related to the achievement of those objectives. Background Veterans Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program. In November 2014, voters approved the VHHP Bond Act of 2014, also SB 866 Page 4 known as Proposition 41, which authorized the issuance of $600 million under AB 639 (J. Perez, Chapter 727, Statutes of 2013). The VHHP Program requires CalHFA, HCD, and CalVet to establish and implement a program that focuses on veterans at risk of homelessness or experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness. This program will fund the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily supportive housing, affordable transitional housing, affordable rental housing, or related facilities for veterans and their families to allow veterans to access and maintain housing stability. More specifically, the program is intended to: Leverage public, private, and nonprofit funding sources; Prioritize projects that combine housing and supportive services, including but not limited to: job training, mental health, drug treatment, case management, care coordination, or physical rehabilitation; and Ensure that program guidelines and terms provide requirements or scoring criteria to advance applicants with that combine permanent or transitional housing, or both, with supportive services for veterans, or for partnering with housing developers or service providers that offer housing or services to veterans. Unique Needs of Women Veterans. A recent report by the federal Government Accountability Office found that women veterans identifying themselves as homeless more than doubled, increasing by more than 140% from 2006 to 2010. During the same time frame, there was a 45% increase in homelessness for male veterans. For female veterans, especially those who have suffered from military sexual trauma, living in a housing facility that houses mainly men poses serious safety and health risks. Women do not feel comfortable or safe in these facilities. Most (about 60%) of transitional housing facilities do not allow young children. This limitation, combined with the safety risks of living in male dominated facilities, makes finding housing for female veterans with children nearly impossible. SB 384 seeks to eliminate some of these barriers by ensuring that funding is available for housing for underserved veterans - allowing construction of facilities that serve this vulnerable SB 866 Page 5 population. In a recent white paper ("Women Veterans Must Have Equal Access to Veteran-Only Permanent Housing Facilities under the Fair Housing Laws," March 2016), the California Women's Law Center stated: "Veteran-only supportive housing facilities are intended to couple access to medical and social services with permanent housing solutions, serving an essential function in helping veterans who have encountered difficulty adjusting to civilian life get back on their feet. Many veterans are confronted with mental and physical health issues resulting from their military service. For example, many women veterans who were the victims of military sexual trauma (MST) suffer from PTSD and other related disabilities. Supportive housing is intended to serve all veterans and to accommodate and serve veterans with disabilities, among others. Women veterans, however, are deterred from seeking veteran-only housing or are effectively being denied equal opportunity to use and enjoy such facilities because of conditions such as MST-related PTSD. These disabilities are exacerbated when women veterans who suffered MST are required to live in an environment that triggers their experience of being in the male-dominated military where they were assaulted or harassed. Women veterans have legitimate concerns about their mental and physical well-being living in such facilities because veteran-only housing providers fail to make gender-specific accommodations for MST-related disabilities." Related/Prior Legislation SB 384 (Leyva, 2016) in order to help meet the specific housing needs of underserved veterans, sets aside a percentage of any state funds being used to acquire, construct, rehabilitate or preserve multifamily housing units for underserved veterans. (Pending Assembly Veterans Affairs) AB 639 (J. Pérez, Chapter 727, Statutes of 2013), authorized issuance of $600 million in general obligation (GO) bonds to fund the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and SB 866 Page 6 preservation of multifamily supportive housing, affordable transitional housing, affordable rental housing, and related facilities for veterans and their families, and was approved by the voters at the June, 2014, statewide election. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:YesLocal: No According to the Senate Appropriations Committee: The HCD does not anticipate a significant fiscal impact. The CalVet estimates negligible costs to implement this bill. SUPPORT: (Verified5/10/16) American GI Forum of California American Legion - Department of California AMVETS - Department of California California Association of County Veterans Service Officers League of California Cities National Association of Social Workers Vietnam Veterans of American - California State Council OPPOSITION: (Verified5/10/16) None received Prepared by:Wade Teasdale / V.A. / (916) 651-1503 5/11/16 15:12:38 **** END **** SB 866 Page 7