BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2061
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 14, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 2061 (Chau) - As Amended: March 28, 2014
Policy Committee: Human
ServicesVote:5 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Housing Program for Homeless Families
Receiving Child Welfare Services (Housing Program).
Specifically, this bill:
1) Establishes the Housing Program to provide four-year
grants to counties to serve families who are homeless or
have been homeless in the last year, who voluntarily agree
to participate in the program, and are receiving CWS and
family reunification services.
2) Appropriates $3 million to the Department of Social
Services (DSS) to fund grants to counties under the Housing
Program.
3) Requires counties, to be eligible for the program, to
fund 50% of program services costs from one of the
following sources:
a) Foster care payment funds, if the county is
participating in the federal Title IV-E waiver capped
allocation demonstration project.
b) A commitment of federal, state, or local housing
subsidies administered by a public housing authority to
meet participating families' rental assistance needs.
AB 2061
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c) A commitment of rental assistance through partnership
with a community-based permanent housing provider that
agrees to limit participating families' rent to one-third
of each family's income.
1) Requires counties to educate employees about the program
and conduct housing needs assessments and assist families
in locating housing.
2) Requires DSS to use a third-party evaluator to collect
data and evaluate the program's effectiveness, and subject
to federal approval, include services identified as part of
a Title IV-E waiver demonstration project.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)This bill contains a one-time $3 million (GF) appropriation to
DSS to fund county grants.
2)Non-reimbursable costs to counties of up to $3 million to
provide matching grants.
3)Ongoing costs to DSS of up to $200,000 to administer the
program.
4)Potential GF savings to the extent that adequate housing
facilitates family reunification leading to a corresponding
reduction in the foster care caseload.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, homelessness and housing
instability interferes with the reunification of children in
foster care with their birth families. As many as 30% of
children in foster care who are not eligible for reunification
with their families could be reunited if their family was able
to access a safe place to live. This bill would promote county
programs that offer housing solutions to homeless families
involved in the child welfare system. This bill appropriates
$3 million for this purpose, which advocates say could assist
700 to 800 families with housing.
AB 2061
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2)Reunification Services . When children are removed from the
home, but the court determines, in consultation with a child's
social worker, that the child would ultimately benefit from
being returned to the family, the court may order
reunification services for the parents. Reunification services
are generally developed on a case-by-case basis to accommodate
and respond to the needs of the child and the parents to
better facilitate the child's reunification with his or her
parent(s).
Analysis Prepared by : Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)
319-2081