BILL NUMBER: AB 870	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	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)  to  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 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 program within
the Department of Housing and Community Development for awarding
grants to counties that operate a rapid rehousing program. The bill
would require the department to select 4 counties to receive these
grant funds, giving priority to counties with existing programs that
have demonstrated effectiveness in providing supporting housing for
homeless individuals and veterans. This bill would 
continuously  appropriate  $1 million each year
  $2 million for 2 years  from the General Fund to
the department and require the department to distribute 
$250,000 of  this money  equally  to each of the 4
 counties.   counties, 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  RE-HOUSING   REHOUSING
 PILOT 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 of
Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
   (c) "Pilot program" means the program established pursuant to this
chapter for distributing funds to counties.
   15290.5.  (a) There is hereby established a  two-year 
pilot program in the department for awarding grants to counties that
operate a rapid rehousing program. The department shall administer
the pilot program.
   (b) The department shall select four counties to participate in
the pilot program. The department shall select counties by giving
priority to those counties with existing rapid rehousing programs
that have demonstrated effectiveness in providing supportive housing
and homelessness prevention for individuals and veterans of the
United States military experiencing homelessness.
   15291.   Notwithstanding Section 13340, the  
(a)     (1)     The  sum of
 one million dollars ($1,000,000)   two million
dollars ($2,000,000)  is hereby  continuously
appropriated, without regard to fiscal years,  
appropriated  from the General Fund  each year 
to the department, exclusively to be distributed to the counties
selected pursuant to Section  15290.5. The  
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 program for the purposes authorized by this section.

    (b)     (1)     The 
department shall distribute  two hundred fifty thousand
dollars ($250,000)   an equal amount  of the money
received pursuant to this section each  year  
year, less any amount deducted for administrative purposes,  to
each of the four counties. 
   (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.