Bill Text: CA AB1360 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Project Roomkey.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1360 Detail]

Download: California-2021-AB1360-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 25, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1360


Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago

February 19, 2021


An act to add Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 8300) to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to homelessness.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1360, as amended, Santiago. Homelessness. Project Roomkey: Project Homekey.
Existing law establishes the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program for the purpose of providing jurisdictions, as defined, with one-time grant funds to support regional coordination and expand or develop local capacity to address their immediate homelessness challenges, as specified. In March 2020, the California Department of Social Services established Project Roomkey to coordinate with local agencies and nonprofits to provide shelter options to homeless persons recovering from, or exposed to, COVID-19. The Department of Housing and Community Development established Project Homekey which awards grants to local government agencies to purchase and rehabilitate housing in order to serve people experiencing homelessness who are at risk of serious illness from COVID-19.
This bill would require each city, county, or city and county to ensure that individuals housed pursuant to Project Roomkey and Project Homekey do not return to homelessness. The bill would require each city, county, or city and county to develop a plan to accomplish that result, and would specify the criteria the county or city and county must consider in developing the plan.
This bill would continue Project Homekey, within the Department of Housing and Community Development, and make the project permanent. The bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to ensure that adequate and ongoing resources and supports are provided to local governments to ensure its success and to ensure adequate accountability metrics.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to homelessness.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NOYES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 8300) is added to Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  8. Keeping Californians Housed

8300.
 Each city, county, or city and county shall ensure that individuals housed pursuant to Project Roomkey or Project Homekey do not return to homelessness.

8301.
 To comply with Section 8300, each city, county, or city and county shall develop a plan to prevent those individuals housed pursuant to Project Roomkey or Project Homekey from returning to homelessness. In developing the plan, each city, county, or city and county shall consider at least all of the following:
(a) Putting a freeze on the removal of any individual from housing provided pursuant to Project Roomkey or Project Homekey for at least six to ten months after the end of the declared state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(b) Exercising any public authority available to them to acquire hotels and motels to convert into permanent supportive housing or housing projects designed for permanent residency or for emergency shelters.
(c) Developing and implementing a program where the city, county, or city and county leases or purchases hotels and motels for the purpose of keeping homeless individuals housed.

8302.
 Project Homekey is hereby continued within the Department of Housing and Community Development, and made permanent in order to facilitate grants to cities, counties, cities and counties, and local government agencies to aid in the purchase and rehabilitation of hotels, motels, and other appropriate housing, and to develop those structures and units into long-term housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that adequate and ongoing resources and supports are provided to local governments to ensure its success, and that there are strong accountability metrics in place.

SEC. 2.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to homelessness.

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