BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: AB 1177
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Fong
VERSION: 6/30/09
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: Yes
Hearing date: July 7, 2009
SUBJECT:
Interagency Council on Homelessness
DESCRIPTION:
This bill establishes an Interagency Council on Homelessness and
prescribes the membership and duties of the Council.
ANALYSIS:
Under existing law, several state agencies have prescribed
responsibilities relating to homeless persons.
This bill :
Establishes the Interagency Council on Homelessness with a
mission to construct cross-agency and community cooperation in
responding to homelessness, to use a more efficient and
supportive method in implementing evidence-based approaches to
address homelessness, and, to the extent possible, plan to end
homelessness in the state.
Designates 18 seats on the council to be filled by
representatives of the following:
? The Governor's Office
? The State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs
? The Department of Community Services and Development
? The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
? The State Department of Education
? The State Department of Health Care Services
? The Department of Housing and Community Development
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? The California Housing Finance Agency
? The State Department of Mental Health
? The State Department of Social Services
? The Department of Veterans Affairs
? Local law enforcement, to be appointed by the Governor
? County governments, to be appointed by the Senate
? City governments, to be appointed by the Assembly
? Two nonprofit or faith-based organizations whose primary
mission is to prevent or end homelessness, to provide
services or health care to people who are homeless, or to
create housing for people who are homeless, one each to be
appointed by the Senate and Assembly
? Two persons who have experienced homelessness, one each
to be appointed by the Senate and Assembly
Requires the Governor to appoint and chair and vice-chair from
among the members of the Council.
Provides that members shall serve without compensation, except
that the two members who have experience homelessness shall be
compensated if non-state resources are available.
Requires the council to meet at least quarterly.
Directs the council to do all of the following:
? Act as the lead for coordinating and planning the
state's response to homelessness, including coordinating
funding that the state receives from the federal government
for the prevention or reduction of homelessness or for
services delivered to people who are homeless or at risk of
homelessness.
? Discuss potential mechanisms for streamlining the
administration of programs across agencies and
jurisdictions to reduce duplication, consolidate
availability of services, and ease clients' access to
services.
? Discuss potential mechanisms for streamlining funding of
homelessness programs to leverage existing resources
effectively.
? Solicit input and suggestions from stakeholders, the
business community, the concerned public, and governmental
agencies to find the most effective strategies to address
homelessness.
? Identify best practices in combating homelessness from
other states.
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? Within available resources, create a plan by the end of
the first year of its existence to delineate each agency's
responsibilities on the council and to implement
recommendations for policy, regulatory, and resource
changes needed to accomplish the council's objectives. The
council must review this plan annually.
? Within three years if resources are available, publish a
plan to reduce or end homelessness in California.
? Discuss potential improvements or plans for the
discharge of people likely to become homeless after leaving
institutions such as prisons, crisis health care
facilities, and foster care.
? Gather needs assessments on homelessness from local
jurisdictions.
? Create a centralized database on homelessness by January
1, 2015 and assist in the coordination of a state continuum
of care by January 1, 2017, if federal funds allow.
? Identify private and public funding partnerships.
Requires the council to operate within the budget of each
department and agency represented.
Requires the governor to designate a lead agency that shall
seek all available federal funding to support the council and
its activities.
Allows the council to invite outside persons to participate in
meetings or provide information.
Allows the council to accept the services of agency personnel,
contract with nonprofit organizations, or employ its own
staff, provided there are non-state funds available for that
purpose or the Legislature makes an appropriation.
Allows the council, within available resources, to establish
working groups, task forces, or other structures from within
its membership or with outside members to assist it in its
work.
Requires the council to submit all documents it creates to
appropriate legislative committees within 90 days of being
finalized.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose of the bill . According to the author, California has
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the highest number of homeless persons and the highest ratio
of homeless people per resident, with 360,000 people sleeping
outdoors or in shelters on any given night. Homelessness is
traumatic for those who suffer it, often leading to separated
families, exacerbation of health conditions, a rise in
avoidable emergency room use, social and academic delays among
children, and greater likelihood of incarceration. People who
lack permanent shelter and the ability to access regular
support ricochet through separate and expensive public
systems: corrections, hospital emergency rooms, mental health
programs, substance abuse treatment and detox facilities,
shelters, and emergency housing. As a result, individuals and
families experiencing chronic homelessness use a
disproportionate share of state and local services.
The author believes that reducing homelessness requires
coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local
governments, as well as private sector organizations. By
establishing a council that will give priority to developing
consolidated, coordinated, and cooperative approaches to
homelessness, this bill will help develop a more integrated
system, reduce duplication of effort, potentially allow the
state to redirect resources to more effective approaches, and
increase accountability in state government.
Because of the complexity of homelessness and its effects on
the state's healthcare, housing, corrections, child welfare,
and other human services systems, over 10 state agencies
administer programs affecting homelessness. Yet these
agencies rarely communicate. This results in duplication of
effort, conflicting program requirements, and funding
opportunities falling through the cracks. Agencies do not
take responsibility for an individual or family who is
homeless once that individual or family leaves the agency's
"system", even though there may be greater costs to other
state agencies as a result.
2.Other states . According to the sponsors, at least five other
states have some version of an interagency council on
homelessness. These efforts have led to better coordination
and streamlined programs that more effectively and efficiently
serve the needs of homeless individuals and families.
3.Prior history . In 2002, Governor Davis established an
Interagency Council on Homelessness made up of many of the
state agencies listed in this bill and headed by the Office of
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Planning and Research. That council focused it efforts on
prevention of homelessness, particularly how improved
discharge planning and a more coordinated service approach
could prevent chronically homeless persons from cycling in an
out of various systems with no agency ultimately responsible
for ending the cycle. The council advocated for housing the
chronically homeless in supportive housing. The life of the
council did not extend beyond the end of the Davis
administration. In November 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger
announced the governor's homeless initiative, which included
plans to form an interagency coordinating council to reduce
homelessness. To date, however, no council has been formed or
met.
4.Technical amendments :
On page 5, line 16 strike "the Chairperson of"
On page 5, line 27 strike "the Chairperson of"
On page 5, line 30 strike "the Chairperson of"
Previous Votes:
Senate Human S: 4-1
Assembly Floor: 49-29
Assembly Appr: 12-5
Assembly Human S: 5-2
Assembly B & P: 7-4
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday, July 1, 2009)
SUPPORT: Corporation for Supportive Housing (sponsor)
Housing California (sponsor)
Burbank Housing Development Corporation
California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
California State Sheriff's Association
City of San Jose
City of Santa Monica
Homeward Bound
Larkin Street Youth Services
Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and
Homelessness
Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority
NAMI California
Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern
California
Sacramento Housing Alliance
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Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation
United Homeless Healthcare Partners
Western Center on Law and Poverty
Yolo County Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition
Yolo Wayfarer Center
One individual
OPPOSED: None received.