BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1167
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Date of Hearing: April 27, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Norma Torres, Chair
AB 1167 (Fong) - As Amended: April 4, 2011
SUBJECT : Homelessness: Interagency Council on Homelessness
SUMMARY : Creates the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness (council) and requires various state agencies to
meet quarterly to coordinate efforts on homelessness.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes legislative findings and declarations.
2)Defines the following terms:
a) "Council" means the California Interagency Council on
Homelessness; and
b) "Stakeholder organization" means a nonprofit or
faith-based organization 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.
3)Creates the council, whose mission is to construct
cross-agency and community cooperation in responding to
homelessness and to identify and apply for increased federal
funding to respond to homelessness.
4)Requires the Governor to designate a lead agency or
representative from the Governor's staff to direct the
council's work.
5)Requires the council membership to include:
a) At least one representative with decision-making
authority from each of the following:
i) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation;
ii) Department of Housing and Community Development;
iii) Department of Mental Health;
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iv) Department of Social Services; and,
v) Department of Veterans Affairs.
b) Two representatives from local law enforcement, county
or city government, or organizations representing these
interests, with one be appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules (Senate Rules) and the other by the Speaker of the
Assembly (Speaker);
c) Representatives from two stakeholder organizations, with
one to be appointed by Senate Rules and the other by the
Speaker;
d) Two individuals who have experienced homelessness, with
one to be appointed by Senate Rules and the other by the
Speaker; and,
e) A chair and vice-chair, to be appointed by the Governor.
6)Requires the council to:
a) Meet quarterly;
b) Seek all available funding to fund the council and its
activities;
c) Operate within the current budget of each department and
agency represented, as specified. Each department and
agency shall cooperate with the council and furnish it with
information and assistance that is necessary or useful
pursuant to this bill; and,
d) Serve without compensation, except consumer
representatives shall receive minimal compensation if
private funds are available.
7)Authorizes the council to:
a) Act as the lead for coordinating and planning the
state's response to homelessness if necessary as a
requirement to apply for federal funding;
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b) Establish working groups, task forces, or other
structures to assist in its work, within current costs or
private support;
c) Engage or accept the services of agency personnel and
nonprofit organizations, or employ council staff with
private or non-state funding; and,
d) Invite stakeholders to participate in meetings or
provide information to the council.
EXISTING LAW tasks several agencies with responsibilities
related to homelessness.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS :
California has the largest population of homeless persons of any
state in the country. The Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) reported that on a single night in 2008,
California communities counting people living on the streets or
in shelters reported a total of 157,277 homeless persons. Over
380,000 people are homeless for some period of time during the
course of each year in California. The state has one of the
highest rates of homelessness, with one in every 230 residents
homeless at any point in time, and one in every 95 residents
homeless at some point during the course of a year. HUD
estimated the total number of homeless adults in the nation on
one night as 1,283,272. In the rest of the country, most
homeless people are sheltered, temporarily living in shelters or
transitional housing. In California, 70 percent of homeless
people live unsheltered, the largest percentage in the nation.
According to the sponsor, "California has the largest homeless
population in the nation but is one of only a handful of states
that does not have an interagency council on homelessness. More
than 10 California agencies administer programs affecting
homelessness. Agency collaboration on homelessness has yielded
very successful outcomes in California including a 100% decrease
in homelessness among participants in the Mental Health Services
Act Housing Program. Yet, too often, program requirements
administered by one agency conflict with program requirements
administered by another or replicate efforts of agency staff.
For these reasons, California's approach to homelessness is
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siloed, sometimes inefficient, and frequently inconsistent."
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. People who experience
multiple episodes of homelessness, who are chronically homeless,
or who frequently use avoidable crisis services use a
disproportionate share of public resources.
Previous Legislation . AB 1177 (Fong) of 2009 is a similar bill
that would have required various state agencies to meet
quarterly to coordinate efforts on homelessness. This bill was
held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. This bill differs
from AB 1177 by revising the council membership and its
appointments and reducing the council's mandated actions.
Federal efforts to coordinate delivery of services to the
homeless:
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is made up of 19
agencies that developed and adopted "Opening Doors" a Federal
Strategic Plan to End Homelessness. The Plan includes 10
objectives and 52 strategies to achieve the goal of ending
homelessness." The plan is a model for states Interagency
Councils on Homelessness to follow in developing strategies to
end homelessness by coordinating and leveraging resources.
With a Council, California will be better positioned to respond
to the federal agenda to end homelessness and draw down on
possible federal funding.
One example of interagency collaboration at the federal level is
the partnerships between HUD and the Department of Veterans
Affairs and the Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The
partnership provides long-term case management, supportive
services and permanent housing support to veterans. Eligible
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homeless veterans receive VA-provided case management and
supportive services to maintain stability and recovery from
physical and mental health, substance use, and concerns
contributing to or resulting from homelessness. In 2010, HUD
provided 20,000 "Housing Choice" Section 8 vouchers, of which
2,905 have been awarded to California for HUD-VASH to
participating Public Housing Authorities to assist with rent
payment. In FY 2010, Congress authorized an additional 10,000
vouchers for a total of 30,000. Goals for the program include
promoting veteran recovery and independent to sustain permanent
housing in the community for the veteran and the veteran's
family.
Arguments in Support . The co-sponsor, Housing California,
writes, "In light of the deep budget cuts the Legislature has
made to our state's safety net programs, a council whose chief
purpose would be to increase efficiency of our remaining
resources and identify new options for federal funding that
could total in the millions now seems more important than ever.
A council is a wise investment at a time when economic hardships
and budget cuts could result in additional homelessness.
Because California has the largest homeless population in the
country, the state needs strategic, thoughtful approaches driven
by practices that work. Currently, the 11 state agencies that
administer programs affecting homelessness in California often
administer conflicting programmatic philosophies, or duplicate
staff effort."
According to the City of Santa Monica, "While local governments
are taking the lead to address homelessness on the ground,
�local governments] are constantly hampered by conflicting
regulations and policies that vary across state and local
agencies. As a state that is home to the largest concentrations
of homelessness, including homeless veterans, it is critical
that resources and responses are coordinated at the state
level."
Double referred : The Assembly Committee on Rules referred AB
1167 to the Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer
Protection and Housing and Community Development. The bill
passed the Committee on Business, Professions and Consumer
Protection of April 12, 2011, by a vote of 6 to 0.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
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Support
Corporation for Supportive Housing (co-sponsor)
Housing California (so-sponsor)
County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors
United Homeless Healthcare Partners
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Engel / H. & C.D. / (916) 319-2085