Today's Law As Amended


PDF |Add To My Favorites | print page

SB-611 Housing: elderly and individuals with disabilities.(2019-2020)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that, by the year 2030, the state’s 65 years of age and older population will nearly double, increasing by four million people, while becoming more racially and economically diverse.
(b) The aging of California’s population will impact all areas of the service delivery system, increasing the demand for long-term services and supports, transportation, dental care, health care, behavioral health services, and housing.
(c) The state’s lack of affordable housing and higher costs of living force many older adults into poverty and homelessness.
(d) According to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, more than three-quarters of low-income older Californian tenants are rent-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and more than one-half are severely rent-burdened, spending more than 50 percent of their income on housing.
(e) In 2018, Los Angeles reported a surge in its homeless population over 62 years of age, while at the same time noting a decrease in its overall homeless population.
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to establish a master plan for aging that responds to population needs in a comprehensive manner which shall include, but not be limited to, policy recommendations that address the housing needs of California’s older adults, and people with disabilities. The master plan for aging shall promote and incentivize the development of housing models that provide local economic development opportunities while leveraging multiple federal, state, and local funding sources. The housing models shall focus on coordinating the provision of long-term services and supports provided in underserved and unserved areas of the state, in order to improve access to housing and services for older adults and people with disabilities.

SEC. 2.

 Article 5 (commencing with Section 9150) is added to Chapter 2 of Division 8.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:

Article  5. Master Plan for Aging Housing Task Force
9150.
 (a) As part of establishing the master plan for aging, the office of the Governor shall establish the Master Plan for Aging Housing Task Force.
(b) The task force shall prioritize and identify the following issues and policy strategies:
(1) Issues impacting homeless older adults and potential policy solutions to transition these individuals into supportive housing environments.
(2) Issues impacting older adults at risk of homelessness due to increasing rents or lack of available housing.
(3) Issues impacting older adults who wish to remain in their homes but face potential institutionalization due to a lack of appropriate housing accessibility or modifications, which includes access to home modifications and safety assessments.
(4) Policy strategies that would:
(A) Increase the supply of affordable housing for older adults.
(B) Reduce barriers to providing health care and social services to older adults in affordable housing.
(C) Enable individuals to access home modification and safety assessment services that enable aging in place.
(D) Increase the supply of intergenerational affordable housing that is located near services and support for older adults.
(c) The housing task force shall carry out the following responsibilities:
(1) Measure and assess the need for affordable and accessible housing among California’s older adult population.
(2) Identify current state housing programs and assess the annual impact on the statewide supply of affordable and accessible housing for older adults.
(3) Identify policies to help older adults and people with disabilities who prefer to remain in their own homes but face challenges due to a lack of modifications to the home environment.
(4) Identify innovative and effective solutions that bring health and social services to older adults living in affordable housing.
(5) Identify best practices in and regulatory barriers to the development of intergenerational housing that includes colocated services and supports for older adults.
(6) Make recommendations to the Governor and Legislature.
9151.
 The Master Plan for Aging Housing Task Force shall consist of the following members:
(a) The Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, or their designee. This member shall serve as the chairperson of the task force.
(b) The Director of Health Care Services, or their designee.
(c) The Director of Social Services, or their designee.
(d) The Director of the California Department of Aging, or their designee.
(e) A representative of the Governor’s office with responsibility for the master plan on aging, or their designee.
(f) A Member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
(g) A Member of the Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
(h) All of the following members who shall be appointed by the chairperson:
(1) A representative of a nonprofit housing development corporation where at least one-half of its properties developed are affordable senior housing communities located in California.
(2) A representative of a nonprofit housing management corporation where at least one-half of its properties currently managed are affordable senior housing communities located in California.
(3) A representative of a for-profit housing management corporation where at least one-half of its properties currently managed are affordable senior housing communities located in California.
(4) A representative from a corporation that operates a Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization, as defined in Section 14592.
(5) Two representatives from labor organizations representing the long-term care workforce.
(6) A representative of a county organized health system, as defined in Section 12693.05 of the Insurance Code.
(7) A representative of a local initiative health plan.
(8) A representative of a commercial Medi-Cal managed care plan under Article 6.3 (commencing with Section 14197) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9.
(9) Two local government representatives.
9152.
 The Master Plan for Aging Housing Task Force shall meet at least six times between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. As part of the master plan on aging, the housing task force shall submit a report to the Legislature by April 30, 2021. The housing task force report shall be incorporated into the master plan on aging, and provide all of the following:
(a) An overview of the current need for affordable housing for older adults.
(b) An overview of the projected future need for affordable housing for older adults.
(c) A summary of existing affordable housing units for older adults in California.
(d) An overview of existing intergenerational affordable housing sites in California.
(e) An overview of barriers to building affordable housing for older adults in California.
(f) An overview of existing state housing programs and the number of affordable housing units for older adults generated by those programs each year.
(g) Policy recommendations to the Legislature.