BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1380|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1380
Author: Mitchell (D), et al.
Amended: 4/21/16
Vote: 21
SENATE HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE: 3-0, 4/12/16
AYES: McGuire, Hancock, Liu
NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Nguyen
SENATE TRANS. & HOUSING COMMITTEE: 9-1, 4/19/16
AYES: Beall, Cannella, Allen, Galgiani, Leyva, McGuire,
Mendoza, Roth, Wieckowski
NOES: Gaines
NO VOTE RECORDED: Bates
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 5-2, 5/27/16
AYES: Lara, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza
NOES: Bates, Nielsen
SUBJECT: Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council
SOURCE: Poverty Matters
DIGEST: This bill requires a state agency or department that
funds, implements, or administers a state program that provides
housing or housing-related services to people experiencing or at
risk of homelessness, except as specified, to adopt guidelines
and regulations to include Housing First policies. This bill
establishes the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council to
oversee implementation of the Housing First regulations and,
among other things, to identify resources, benefits, and
services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in
California.
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ANALYSIS:
Existing law:
1) Defines, in federal statute, the word "homeless" for the
purpose of housing assistance, to mean an individual or
family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence, as specified. (42 CFR 91.5)
2) States legislative findings and declarations about
homelessness, the housing shortfall and other related issues.
(HSC 50003.3)
3) Establishes the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) program, which permits states to implement
the program under a state plan. (42 USC § 601 et seq.)
4) Establishes in state law the California Work Opportunity and
Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program to provide cash
assistance and other social services for low-income families
through the TANF program. Under CalWORKs, each county
provides assistance through a combination of state, county
and federal TANF funds. (WIC 10530)
This bill:
1) Makes a series of legislative finding and declarations
regarding homelessness.
2) Defines "Housing First," "Core Components of Housing First,"
and "state programs."
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3) Creates the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council
(Council) and goals for the Council, as specified.
4) Requires agencies and departments administering state
programs created on or after July 1, 2017, to collaborate
with the Council to adopt guidelines and regulations to
incorporate core components of Housing First.
5) Requires agencies and departments administering state
programs in existence prior to July 1, 2017, to collaborate
with the Council to adopt guidelines and regulations to
incorporate core components of Housing First by July 1, 2019,
if existing guidelines and regulations do not already do so.
6) Requires the Governor, within 180 days of enacting this
bill, to appoint up to 15 members to the Council. Membership
includes, but is not limited to, representatives from eight
specified state entities with a role in housing and
homelessness policy. Council membership also includes a
homeless person who lives in California, two representatives
of local agencies or organizations, and other advocates, as
specified.
7) Permits the Council to invite stakeholders, individuals who
have experienced homelessness, members of philanthropic
communities, and experts to participate in meetings or
provide information to the Council.
8) Requires the Council to hold public meetings at least once
every quarter.
9) Requires that Council members shall serve at the pleasure of
the Governor.
10)Permits the Council to establish working groups, task
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forces, or other structures from within its membership or
with outside members to assist it in its work within existing
funding. Working groups, task forces, or other structures
established by the Council shall determine their own meeting
schedules.
11)Requires that Council members shall serve without
compensation, except that members who are, or have been,
homeless may receive reimbursement for travel, per diem, or
other expenses.
12)Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development
to provide staff for the Council.
13)Permits Council members to enter into memoranda of
understanding with other Council members to achieve the
Council goals in order to facilitate communication and
cooperation between the entities the Council members
represent.
Background
According to the author, homelessness affects multiple systems
in California. Larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco,
and San Diego, as well as smaller municipalities like Redding
and Ukiah, are searching for answers and best practices to help
homeless populations in their respective areas, per the author.
Per the author, a state as large, diverse, and complex as
California requires a coordinating body to enable state agencies
to maximize federal funding, leverage local dollars, and ensure
programs touching homeless Californians are as effective as
possible. This bill creates a statewide council for the purpose
of coordinating the state's efforts to fight homelessness.
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SB 1380 also requires state programs that fund housing for
homeless residents to adopt guidelines and regulations that
incorporate the core components of "Housing First," as defined
in this bill. According to the author, Housing First is the only
evidence-based model proven to reduce homelessness, prevent
returns to homelessness, and decrease public expenditures.
Poverty. A 2014 Stanford poverty center report found that 26.3
percent of children aged six or younger were living below the
poverty level as defined by the California Poverty Measure, and
24.9 percent were classified below poverty using the official
measure. The California Poverty Measure takes into account costs
of living besides food, including transportation, child care,
medical out of pocket expenses. Researchers have indicated that
California's high poverty rate is significantly impacted by the
state's high housing costs and other high costs of living.
Homelessness in California . According to the Annual Homeless
Assessment Report produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development on a single night in January 2014, there were
113,952 homeless people in California, 71,437 of whom were
unsheltered. According to the author, California has the
nation's largest homeless population -- 22 percent of the
nation's total.
The health, personal, and economic challenges that chronically
homeless individuals and families face and the lack of
effective, coordinated services to address these problems often
lead to a vicious cycle of housing instability and health
deterioration. Health conditions of those experiencing
long-term homelessness often prevent housing stability, while
persistent homelessness impedes access to needed health and
employment services. Consequently, people who are chronically
homeless cycle through costly emergency-driven public systems -
emergency shelters, emergency rooms, detoxification centers,
criminal justice facilities - without getting the ongoing care
they need to address severe mental illness, substance abuse
disorders, or chronic health conditions.
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Housing First. Housing First approaches homelessness by
providing permanent, affordable housing for families and
individuals, and then providing supportive services in order to
help people avoid returning to homelessness. Housing First is
premised on the idea that housing should not be denied to
anyone, even if they are abusing alcohol or other substances.
Under Housing First, supportive services are offered to maximize
housing stability and prevent returns to homelessness as opposed
to addressing predetermined treatment goals prior to providing
housing. Many current state programs, and some programs that are
under development, already embrace the Housing First model.
The Housing First model is contrasted with a model known as
"housing readiness," which is exhibited in some transitional
housing models. This model requires homeless people to earn
their way into transitional housing and make progress on certain
goals; when they are deemed well enough, they earn their spot in
permanent housing.
Housing and Homeless Programs. There are number of state
agencies involved in providing housing assistance, serving the
homeless, preventing homelessness, and financing the development
of affordable housing. In addition, the federal government has
its own programs and programs requirements. Below is a brief
description of some of these state agencies and their programs:
California Department of Housing and Community Development
(HCD) administers a variety of programs to meet a large range
of housing needs, including emergency shelters and
transitional housing, affordable rental housing, and
affordable homeownership.
The California Housing Finance Agency is the state's
affordable-housing bank and administers a number of programs
that support affordable housing, including issuing tax-exempt
revenue bonds and providing down-payment assistance
Tax Credit Allocation Committee within the State Treasurer's
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Office allocates tax credits to developers of affordable
rental housing.
CalWORKs Housing Support Program is an evidence-based rapid
rehousing support program for CalWORKs families that are
experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Included in
the Program are rental assistance and security costs,
caseworker engagement with the clients' landlord, home
finding, credit repair, and financial literacy. This program
contains core components of Housing First.
CalWORKs Homeless Assistance Program offers temporary shelter
assistance and permanent housing assistance to homeless
families under the CalWORKs program.
Transitional Housing Program-Plus (THP-Plus) is a transitional
housing program for young adults who exited from foster care
(including those supervised by probation) on or after their
18th birthday who are not yet 24 years of age.
What programs would be affected? In recent years, the federal
government has shifted its focus towards funding Housing First
programs. In fact, federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Grants must be used for Housing First programs. As a result,
housing programs under the HCD, such as the Veterans Housing and
Homeless Prevention Program, already integrate core components
of Housing First. Existing programs under other state agencies,
however, such as the THP-Plus administered by the Department of
Social Services (DSS), and other housing programs at the state
level that fund other housing models, would likely have to adopt
core Housing First principles.
Under this bill, new programs created on or after July 1, 2017,
will be required to adopt guidelines and regulations to
incorporate the core components of Housing First. Existing
programs that do not already incorporate the core components of
Housing First will be required to revise or adopt guidelines and
regulations that incorporate the core components of Housing
First.
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Prior Legislation
AB 998 (Fong, 2013) would have created the California
Interagency Council on Homelessness and required various state
agencies to meet quarterly to coordinate efforts on
homelessness. The bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
AB 1167 (Fong, 2011) would have created a state Interagency
Council on Homelessness, with specified membership and duties.
The bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 1177 (Fong, 2010) was substantially similar to AB 1167 noted
above. The bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 1875 (Fong, 2009) would have created a state Interagency
Council on Homelessness, with specified membership and duties.
The bill was held in the Assembly Business, Professions, and
Consumer Protections Committee.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
The Council: One-time and ongoing costs potentially in excess
of $200,000 (General Fund) to HCD to staff and facilitate
meetings, as well as collaborate with agencies on activities
as outlined under the listed goals of the Council. The costs
for a representative of HCD to participate in Council meetings
are estimated to be minor.
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DSS: Minor costs to participate on the Council. Potentially
significant workload (General Fund) to review existing housing
assistance programs to ensure compliance with the core
components of the Housing First model.
Department of Veterans Affairs: Minor costs to participate on
the Council. No significant impact to existing housing
programs, as they currently adhere to the core components of
the Housing First model.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(CDCR): Potentially significant impacts (General Fund) to the
Division of Adult Parole Operations to the extent specific
components of the Housing First model are inconsistent with
current policy and practices utilized for parolee services.
State Treasurer's Office: Minor costs of less than $10,000
(General Fund) to have a representative participate on the
Council.
Compliance with Housing First components: Unknown,
potentially significant costs to DSS and CDCR to bring
existing housing and housing-related assistance programs into
compliance with the Housing First core components including
but not limited to the component specifying case managers and
service coordinators who are trained in and actively employ
evidence-based practices.
SUPPORT: (Verified5/27/16)
Poverty Matters (source)
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
Brownie Mary Democrats of California
California National Organization for Women
Corporation for Supportive Housing
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County Health Executives Association of California
County Welfare Directors Association of California
Destination: Home
Housing California
Malibu Democratic Club
Rural County Representatives of California
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy California Collaboration
Upward Bound House
1 individual
OPPOSITION: (Verified5/27/16)
None received
Prepared by: Taryn Smith / HUMAN S. / (916) 651-1524
5/28/16 17:00:38
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