BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1593
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1593 (Burton)
As Amended August 11,2000
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
HOUSING 6-0 APPROPRIATIONS 15-6
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|Ayes:|Lowenthal, House, Dutra, |Ayes:|Migden, Alquist, Aroner, |
| |Margett, Mazzoni, Wildman | |Cedillo, Corbett, Davis, |
| | | |Kuehl, Maldonado, Papan, |
| | | |Romero, Shelley, Thomson, |
| | | |Wesson, Wiggins, Wright |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Campbell, Ackerman, |
| | | |Ashburn, Brewer, Runner, |
| | | |Zettel |
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SUMMARY : Makes changes to various programs within the
Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for the
benefit of homeless persons. Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires HCD to evaluate and report on the number of
successful applications funded within the Multifamily Housing
Program for each applicant type and make adjustments to the
award process, if needed, to ensure an equitable distribution
of awards among applicant types, including hard-to-serve
special needs populations.
2)States legislative intent to encourage coordination among
public agencies that fund or provide services to homeless
individuals and agencies that discharge people from their
institutions (i.e., child welfare agencies, health care
programs, and jails and prisons).
3)States legislative intent to increase the availability of
year-round shelter to meet the special needs of people who are
unable or unwilling to comply with traditional housing
programs, and a safe haven that provides supportive housing
for seriously mentally ill homeless persons.
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4)Defines a "safe haven" as supportive housing for seriously
mentally ill homeless persons with substance abuse problems
that have been unwilling or unable to participate in high
demand housing programs.
5)Requires providers of emergency shelter or transitional
housing to provide adequate facilities within their range of
services so that all members of a family may be housed
together regardless of gender or age, to the greatest extent
feasible.
6)Requires Emergency Housing And Assistance Program (EHAP) funds
allocated to nonurban counties for facilities operation that
are not awarded after one fiscal year to be allocated to an
urban county in the following year.
7)Requires EHAP funds allocated to nonurban counties for capital
development that are not awarded after two fiscal years to be
allocated to an urban county in the following fiscal year.
8)Requires HCD to consider increasing maximum EHAP grant limits
to $300,000 for operating grants and $500,000 for capital
grants by June 30, 2001.
9)Increases the amount any eligible organization within a region
may receive in an EHAP funding round from $500,000 to $1
million.
10)Provides that eligible designated local boards may use a
percentage of the regional award funds for administrative
costs.
11)Requires HCD to determine the percentage of regional award
funds that designated local boards may use for administrative
costs, but limits the amount to no more than 2%.
12)Requires designated local boards to include a statement of
how the priorities in their local shelter strategy will
complement the local continuum of care planning process.
13)Requires designated local boards to include a statement of
how grant recipients will be encouraged to develop year-round
emergency shelters and transitional housing for various
populations including families, youth, physical and mentally
disabled persons, substance addicted persons, persons living
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with HIV/AIDS, the elderly and pregnant women.
14)Requires the designated board to describe how the local plan
serves the needs of individuals and families at risk of
homelessness as a result of eviction.
15)Adds veterans to the list of low-income individuals included
in the target population for the Supportive Housing Grants
Program (SHGP).
16)Adds the Tax Credit Allocation Committee to the list or
directors of various state agencies participating in the SHGP
Council.
17)Provides that grants from funds transferred to HCD and
awarded for housing costs may be awarded for a period not to
exceed 15 years.
18)Provides that recipients of grants awarded from SHGP shall
provide $1.50 in matching funds for each $1 awarded in the
third and subsequent years.
19)Requires lead agencies in SHGP to give preference to
proposals that demonstrate linkages to programs established
under the Adult and Older Adult Mental Health System of Care
Act or other integrated services projects supported with state
and local government funds.
20)Allows up to 5% of the funds in the supportive housing
initiative to be used for administrative costs.
21)Requires a report to be prepared by the lead agency that
receives funding under the Supportive Housing Initiative Act
and requires the report to include:
a) The number of persons housed pursuant to the program;
b) The extent of housing stability;
c) Demographics of the persons housed pursuant to the
program, such as veterans, persons with mental illness,
people with substance abuse histories, single adults, and
families with children;
d) The counties in which the housing is located;
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e) The changes in income levels of those housed; and,
f) Improvements in health status, to the extent available.
FISCAL EFFECT : Negligible fiscal impact to HCD.
COMMENTS : This bill seeks to implement some of the
recommendations of the Senate Task Force on Homelessness that
are contained in the final report, released in June 2000. The
task force examined a variety of state and federal programs that
have some contact with the homeless population and from that
they made a set of recommendations as to how California might
improve its funding and services for the homeless.
The task force was convened by the Senate Pro Tem John Burton
and Senator Ross Johnson. It was made up of 17 members
representing private, public and nonprofit sectors, the
faith-based community, as well as client advocacy organizations
and service providers.
Analysis Prepared by : Chereesse Thymes / H. & C.D. / (916)
319-2085
FN: 0006165