BILL NUMBER: AB 870 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
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.
housing.
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 enhancement program
within require the Department of Housing and
Community Development to establish, upon appropriation o
f funds in the annual Budget Act, an enhancement program
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 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 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 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 July 1, 2018.
Vote: 2/3 majority . Appropriation:
yes no . 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 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 576.2 of
Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(c) "Enhancement program" means the program established pursuant
to this chapter for distributing funds to 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
Upon appropriation of funds in the annual Budget Act,
the department shall establish an 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 enhancement program.
(b) The department shall develop guidelines to select four
counties or private nonprofit organizations to participate in the
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. 11371
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 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.).
(d) 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 selected counties and
private nonprofit organizations.
(e) The department may use up to 5 percent of the money received
pursuant to this section for the purpose of administering this
chapter.
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 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 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. 15291. This chapter shall
remain in effect only until January July
1, 2018, and as of that date is repealed.