BILL NUMBER: AB 870 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 24, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 2, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 30, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Cooley
FEBRUARY 26, 2015
An act to add and repeal Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 15290)
of Part 6.6 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code,
relating to housing, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 870, as amended, Cooley. Homelessness: rapid rehousing.
Existing federal law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009, allocated, until September 30, 2011, $1.5 billion to the
federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for the
Homelessness Prevention Fund, to be used for homelessness prevention
and rapid rehousing. Existing federal law, known as the
Emergency Solutions Grants Program, provides grants to states, local
governments, and private nonprofit organizations, as specified, for
specified housing assistance activities. Existing law, the
California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Act, provides
housing supports to individuals if the administering county
determines that the individual or his or her family is experiencing
homelessness or housing instability that would be a barrier to
self-sufficiency or child well-being and declares that it is the
intent of the Legislature that housing supports utilize
evidence-based models, including those established in the federal
Department of Housing and Urban Development's Homeless Prevention and
Rapid Re-Housing Program.
This bill would establish a 2-year pilot
enhancement program within the Department of Housing and
Community Development for awarding grants to counties and
private nonprofit organizations that operate a rapid
rehousing program. The bill would require the department to
develop guidelines to select 4 counties and
private nonprofit organizations to receive these grant
funds, giving funds and require that eligible
counties and private nonprofit organizations include those that are
eligible to receive funds from the state pursuant to the Emergency
Solutions Grants Program with a demonstrated high funding need. The
bill would require the department to give priority to counties
with existing programs that have demonstrated effectiveness in
providing supporting housing rapid rehousing
for homeless individuals and veterans. This bill would
appropriate $2 million for 2 years from the General Fund to the
department and require the department to distribute this money
equally to each of the 4 counties, selected
counties and private nonprofit organizations, less an amount of
up to 5% deducted for administrative purposes. The bill would repeal
these provisions as of January 1, 2018.
Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) In 2013, the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) reported that California has nearly 40,000
chronically homeless persons, which is 36 percent of the total
chronically homeless population of the United States. This is due in
large part to an insufficient amount of affordable housing in
California.
(b) HUD also reported that there are over 15,000 homeless veterans
in California.
(c) Several studies, including one by the Journal of the American
Medical Association, have demonstrated that it is far more cost
effective and efficient to provide the homeless with permanent,
supportive housing through "rapid rehousing" and "housing first"
initiatives. These measures also reduce the cost to governments of
funding shelters and emergency services.
SEC. 2. Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 15290) is added to Part
6.6 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:
CHAPTER 1. RAPID REHOUSING PILOT
ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
15290. For the purposes of this chapter, the following
definitions shall apply:
(a) "Department" means the Department of Housing and Community
Development.
(b) "Homeless" has the same meaning as defined in Section
91.5 576.2 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
(c) "Pilot "Enhancement
program" means the program established pursuant to this chapter for
distributing funds to counties. counties and
private nonprofit organizations .
(d) "Private nonprofit organization" has the same meaning as
defined in Section 11371 of Title 42 of the United States Code.
15290.5. (a) There is hereby established a two-year
pilot enhancement program in the department for
awarding grants to counties and private nonprofit organizations
that operate a rapid rehousing program. The department shall
administer the pilot enhancement
program.
(b) The department shall develop guidelines to select
four counties or private nonprofit organizations to
participate in the pilot enhancement
program. Eligible counties and private nonprofit organizations
shall include counties and private nonprofit organizations eligible
to receive funds from the state pursuant to the federal Emergency
Solutions Grants Program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 113 71 et seq.)
with a demonstrated high funding need. The department shall
select counties and private nonprofit organizations
by giving priority to those counties or private
nonprofit organizations with existing rapid rehousing programs
that have demonstrated effectiveness in providing
supportive housing and homelessness prevention rapid
rehousing for individuals and veterans of the United States
military experiencing homelessness.
(c) Counties and private nonprofit organizations selected to
receive funds pursuant to this section shall comply with the
reporting requirements as required by the department under state and
federal regulations implementing the Emergency Solutions Grants
Program (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11371 et seq.).
15291. (a) (1) The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department,
exclusively to be distributed to the counties and private
nonprofit organizations selected pursuant to Section 15290.5
and for the administration of this chapter.
(2) The department shall use not more than one million dollars
($1,000,000) of the amount appropriated in paragraph (1) in each year
of the pilot enhancement program for
the purposes authorized by this section.
(b) (1) The department shall distribute an equal amount of the
money received pursuant to this section each year, less any amount
deducted for administrative purposes, to each of the four
counties. selected counties and private nonprofit
organizations .
(2) The department may use up to 5 percent of the money received
pursuant to this section for the purpose of administering this
chapter.
15291.5. This chapter shall remain in effect only until January
1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed.