BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 866
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Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 866
(Roth) - As Amended June 16, 2016
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|Policy |Housing and Community |Vote:|6 - 0 |
|Committee: |Development | | |
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| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| |Veterans Affairs | |7 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY: This bill authorizes a housing developer or service
provider that provides housing or services 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.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes the "Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act
of 2016: Proposition 41 Expenditures: Military Sexual Trauma
(MST)."
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2)Defines, for specified purposes, "women-only facilities" as
those that may house and provide services to female veterans
only and their children, and may 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 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.
4)Provides that a housing developer or service provider that
provides housing or services to female veterans in women-only
facilities must 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.
FISCAL EFFECT:
No significant state fiscal impact.
COMMENTS:
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1)Purpose. According to the author, "Women who were assaulted,
raped, or sexually harassed during their service suffer from
the effects of MST for years in the form of psychological,
physical, and social problems. This is because MST victims
have been found to suffer different and more severe mental
health symptoms than civilian women who have been sexually
assaulted. The United States Department of [Veterans
Administration] VA has reported that approximately 1 in 4
female veterans report experiencing MST. After their service,
female veterans continue to be at risk, with a rate of sexual
assault that is 12 times higher than that for the general
civilian female population. Making up only 4% of the Veteran
Population, female veterans often report feeling intimidated
in predominantly male facilities, where sexual assaults remain
to be all too common. This concern for their own safety often
leads women, especially those who have suffered from MST, to
be deterred from accessing the housing and supportive services
they need and deserve."
This bill seeks to ensure that female veterans are protected
from the unintended but very real discrimination that results
from the nature of male-centric veteran programs. While
supporting equal rights for men and women under the law, this
bill will ensure the laws meant to protect women now do not
prevent the state from providing much needed and focused care
to female veterans who are victims of MST.
2)Background. AB 639 (Perez), Chapter 727, Statutes of 2013,
established the VHHP, an initiative enacted by the voters as
Proposition 41 at the 2014 primary election. The VHHP
restructures $600 million of the $900 million in bonds
approved by the voters for the CalVet Home Loan Program in
2008 and uses them instead to fund the acquisition,
construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable
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multifamily supportive housing, affordable multifamily
transitional housing, or related facilities for veterans and
their families.
The VHHP tasks the Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) with administering the new funding program
in collaboration with CalVet and explicitly restricts the use
of bond proceeds to those housing units designated for
veterans and their families. The focus of the program 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.
According to HCD, the VHHP program already allows requests for
funding women-only housing for applicants housing veterans
with specific needs, if the applicant can demonstrate that
such a restriction does not violate fair housing law that
prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender. However,
concerns exist that existing anti-discrimination law may
hinder the ability to deliver women-centric housing and
services under the VHHP program.
3)Related Legislation. SB 384 (Leyva) also before this
Committee today, requires, on or after January 1, 2017, that a
percentage of state funds under the VHHP be reserved for
underserved veterans.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
SB 866
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