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AB-3171 Homeless Persons Services Block Grant.(2017-2018)

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Date Published: 02/16/2018 09:00 PM
AB3171:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 3171

Introduced by Assembly Member Ting
(Principal coauthor: Senator Lara)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Bonta, Carrillo, Chiu, Chu, Gloria, Gonzalez Fletcher, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Levine, Low, Maienschein, McCarty, Nazarian, Quirk-Silva, Santiago, Mark Stone, Thurmond, and Weber)
(Coauthors: Senators Pan, Skinner, and Wiener)

February 16, 2018

An act to add Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260) to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to homelessness, and making an appropriation therefor.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 3171, as introduced, Ting. Homeless Persons Services Block Grant.
Under existing law, several agencies have prescribed responsibilities relating to homeless persons. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer California’s Emergency Solutions Grants Program and make grants under the program to qualifying recipients to implement activities that address the needs of homeless individuals and families and assist them to regain stability in permanent housing as quickly as possible.
This bill would establish the Local Homelessness Solutions Program and create the Local Homelessness Solutions Account for the purpose of providing funding to cities, as defined, to create innovative and immediate solutions to the problems caused by homelessness, as specified. The bill would appropriate an unspecified sum from the General Fund to the Local Homelessness Solutions Account and direct the Controller to apportion those funds to cities in proportion to each city’s most recent homeless population, as specified. The bill would require cities to match any funds received from the program. The bill would authorize these funds to be expended for, among other things, shelter diversion, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) California is in the midst of a homeless crisis. The latest federal Department of Housing and Urban Development report shows that California experienced year-to-year increases in the homeless population by 13 percent in 2016 and nearly 14 percent in 2017. The overall statewide count has ballooned to 134,278 persons as of 2017.
(b) Homelessness affects nearly all sizes and types of communities.
(c) In response to this crisis, cities and counties continue to commit local funds to homeless relief efforts and have increased annual spending on these efforts by hundreds of millions of dollars statewide. These cities and counties have created unique local programs to best address local needs. Additionally, voters in many communities across California have imposed increased revenue measures devoted to homeless services and similar measures are proposed for the ballot in 2018.
(d) These programs bridge the gap between the availability of services and the lack of utilization. They focus on preventing chronic homelessness and positioning those in need on the path to a permanent housing solution.
(e) However, local governments, local voters, and local non-profits cannot tackle this statewide problem alone. This is a crisis that requires an all-of-the-above approach and the State of California should take steps to become a meaningful partner in combating this human tragedy.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8260) is added to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  7. Local Homelessness Solutions Program

8260.
 (a) The Local Homelessness Solutions Program is hereby established for the purpose of providing matching funds to cities to create innovative and immediate solutions to the problems caused by homelessness, including, but not limited to, state and local social services and healthcare systems.
(b) The sum of ____ dollars is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Local Homelessness Solutions Account, which is hereby created. The Controller shall apportion funds in the account to cities in proportion to each city’s most recent total homeless population, as reported by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program.
(c) For purposes of this chapter, “city” also means a “city and county.”
(d) Funds received pursuant to this chapter shall be matched by the recipient city.
(e) Allowable expenditures of funds allocated pursuant to this chapter include, but are not limited to, shelter diversion, rapid re-housing, rental assistance, emergency shelter, navigation centers, bridge housing, and permanent supportive housing.