CHAPTER
6.5. Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program
50230.
For purposes of this chapter:(a) “Agency” means the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.
(b) “Applicant” means a continuum of care, city, county, or a region for purposes of the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan requirements pursuant to this chapter.
(c) “City” means a city or city and county that is legally incorporated to provide local government services to its population. A city can be organized either under the general laws of this state or under a charter adopted by the local voters.
(d) “Continuum of care” means the same as defined by
the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(e) “Coordinated Entry System” means a centralized or coordinated process developed pursuant to Section 578.7 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that section read on January 10, 2019, designed to coordinate homelessness program participant intake, assessment, and provision of referrals. In order to satisfy this subdivision, a centralized or coordinated assessment system shall cover the geographic area, be easily accessed by individuals and families seeking housing or services, be well advertised, and include a comprehensive and standardized assessment tool.
(f) “Regionally coordinated homelessness action plan” means the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan described in Section 50233.
(g) “Council” means the associated staff within the Interagency Council on Homelessness, formerly known as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council created pursuant to Section 8257 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(h) “Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(i) “Emergency shelter” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 50801.
(j) “Grantee” means an eligible applicant that has received its initial round 5 base allocation or total round 5 base allocation, as applicable.
(k) “Homeless” has the same meaning as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that section read on January 10, 2019.
(l) “Homeless Management Information System” means the information system designated by a continuum of care to comply with federal reporting requirements as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The term “Homeless Management Information System” also includes the use of a comparable database by a victim services provider or legal services provider that is permitted by the federal government under Part 576 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(m) “Homeless point-in-time count” means the most recently available point-in-time count data as reflected in the Annual Homeless Assessment Report released by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(n) “Homeless youth” means an unaccompanied youth between 12 and 24 years of age who is experiencing homelessness, as
defined in Section 725(2) of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11434a(2)). “Homeless youth” includes unaccompanied youth who are pregnant or parenting.
(o) “Housing First” has the same meaning as in Section 8255 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, including all of the core components listed therein.
(p) “Jurisdiction” means a city, county, continuum of care, or tribe, as defined in this section.
(q) “Memorandum of understanding” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 50233.
(r) “Navigation center” means a Housing First, low-barrier, service-enriched shelter focused on moving homeless individuals and families into permanent housing that provides temporary living facilities while case managers
connect individuals experiencing homelessness to income, public benefits, health services, shelter, and housing.
(s) “Program” means round 5 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program, or round 5, established pursuant to this chapter.
(t) (1) “Base program allocation” means the portion of program funds available to expand or develop local capacity to address immediate homelessness challenges pursuant to the allowable uses specified in Section 50236.
(2) “Homekey supplemental allocation” means the portion of program funds available to eligible jurisdictions as supplementary Homekey resources, as defined in Section 50237.
(u) “Recipient” means a jurisdiction that receives funds from the council for the purposes of the program.
(v) (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), “region” means the geographic area served by a county, including all cities and continuum of care within it. A region that has a continuum of care that serves multiple counties may submit a plan that covers multiple counties and the cities within them or the continuum of care may participate in the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan of each individual county that is part of the continuum of care along with the cities within the county.
(2) All continuums of care within the County of Los Angeles shall be considered part of a single region, along with the county and big cities within the county.
(w) “Small jurisdiction” means a city that is under 300,000 in population as of January 1, 2022, according to data published on the internet website of the Department of Finance.
(x) “Tribe” or “tribal applicant” means a federally recognized tribal government pursuant
to Section 4103 of Title 25 of the United States Code that is located in California.
50231.
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature for the council to administer the program with the department.(b) In every instance in which the council is called upon to perform a task pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216), the obligation to perform that task shall be modified by the terms of this section.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to further support the efforts of the Interagency Council on Homelessness in providing statewide policy coordination and development by transferring grants administration to the Department of Housing and Community Development.
(d) It is the further intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes to effectuate this transfer through the Budget Act of 2024, to commence with the 2024–25 fiscal year and no later than July 1, 2024.
(e) It is the further intent of the Legislature to effectuate the transfer of grant administration from the Interagency Council on Homelessness to the Department of Housing and Community Development in a phased manner, beginning with the transfer of the administration of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention grants beginning in the 2023–24 fiscal year. The transfer of all other grant programs and related administrative functions shall be effectuated through statutory changes enacted through the Budget Act of 2024, to commence with the 2024–25 fiscal year and no later than July 1, 2024.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the 2023–24
fiscal year the Department of Finance shall make the final determination of the budgetary and accounting transactions and treatments to ensure the proper implementation of the transfer of the administration of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention grants from the Interagency Council on Homelessness to the Department of Housing and Community Development, as specified in subdivision (d).
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide additional funding for the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216)) in the 2024–25 fiscal year.
50232.
(a) Round 5 of the Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention program is hereby established for the purpose of creating and implementing regionally coordinated plans that organize and deploy the full array of homelessness programs and resources comprehensively and effectively.(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the council shall distribute the following amounts in accordance with this chapter:
(1) One billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) in the 2023–24 fiscal year for implementation of the program.
(2) All amounts reallocated by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216) for expenditure under this
chapter.
(3) Such further amounts as the Legislature may appropriate to the program in the future.
(c) (1) The council shall administer all aspects of the program in accordance with Section 50231.
(2) No more than 5 percent of the total allocation for each round of funding shall be used to cover the council’s costs of administration of this chapter, including state operations expenditures and activities in support of statewide capacity building for recipients, including providing ongoing training and technical assistance, measuring data and performance, conducting research, and evaluation of funding service delivery demonstration projects.
(A) The council may utilize any unused funds from moneys set aside for program administration
to augment existing allocation categories using existing allocation methodologies.
(B) Any unused funds from moneys set aside for program administration remaining by the expenditure deadline for the given appropriation shall be rolled over into the next round of appropriated funding, or will revert back to the General Fund.
(d) Contracts entered into or amended shall be exempt from all of the following:
(1) Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(2) The personal services contracting requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(3) Part 2
(commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and the State Contracting Manual.
(4) Notwithstanding Section 11546 of the Government Code, from review or approval of any division of the Department of Technology, upon approval from the Department of Finance.
(5) From the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.
(e) The council shall approve or deny an application, and the determination of the amount of funding to be provided shall be final.
(f) If the applicant identifies substantive errors or omissions in their required data submissions, the council may, at its sole discretion, allow jurisdictions to modify or resubmit their data and, if applicable, may allow applicants to modify their data
accordingly.
(g) The council shall maintain and make available to the public on its internet website records of the following:
(1) The number of applications for program funding received by the council.
(2) The number of applications for program funding denied by the council.
(3) The name of each recipient of program funds.
(4) Each applicant receiving funds pursuant to this chapter who shall provide a list of all awards to subrecipients.
(5) Annual reports filed by recipients pursuant to Sections 50221, 50222, and 50223.
(h) In administering this chapter, the
council shall not be subject to the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
50233.
(a) To be eligible for a round 5 base program allocation, a jurisdiction that is not a tribe must apply as part of a region and must be signatory to a regionally coordinated homelessness action plan that has been approved by the council.(b) The council shall approve a regionally coordinated homelessness action plan when the council determines that the plan meets all of the requirements of this section.
(c) The regionally coordinated homelessness action plan shall include all of the following components:
(1) Identification and analysis of the specific roles and responsibilities of each participating jurisdiction
in the region regarding outreach and site coordination, siting and use of available land, the development of shelter, interim, and permanent housing options, and the coordination and connection to the delivery of services to individuals experiencing homeless, or at risk of experiencing homelessness, within the region. The plan may also include roles and responsibilities of small jurisdictions in the region that elect to engage and collaborate on the plan.
(2) Most recent system performance metrics for the region, which shall include all of the following:
(A) The number of people experiencing homelessness.
(B) Racial and ethnic disparities in who experiences homelessness.
(C) The average length of time people experience homelessness and any racial and
ethnic disparities in the average length of time people experience homelessness.
(D) The percentage of people exiting homelessness into permanent housing.
(E) The number of people who return to homelessness after exiting homelessness into permanent housing.
(F) The racial and ethnic disparities of people exiting homelessness into permanent housing.
(G) The number of people falling into homelessness for the first time and the racial or ethnic disparities of people who are falling into homelessness for the first time.
(3) A description of key actions the region intends to take to improve the performance metrics described in paragraph (2). The plan may also include key actions of small
jurisdictions in the region that elect to engage and collaborate in the plan. In naming key action steps, a region will identify all of the following:
(A) The sources of federal, state, and local funding the region intends to use to achieve the action steps and objectives.
(B) The lead entity on an action step and collaborating entities partnering to achieve the key action step.
(C) A timeframe for action.
(D) The methods of measuring the success of the action step and related performance metrics.
(4) A description of key actions each participating jurisdiction will take to reduce the number of people falling into homelessness as they exit institutional settings to, including, but not
limited to, jails, prisons, and hospitals.
(5) (A) An explanation of how each participating jurisdiction is utilizing local, state, and federal funding programs to end homelessness, including, but not limited to all of the following:
(i) The Homekey program, as described in Section 50675.1.1.
(ii) The No Place Like Home Program (Part 3.9 (commencing with Section 5849.1) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).
(iii) The Multifamily Housing Program (Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 50675) of Part 2).
(iv) The Housing for a Healthy California Program (Part 14.2 (commencing with Section 53590)).
(v) The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216)).
(vi) Funding distributed to local jurisdictions pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 50470.
(vii) The California Emergency Solutions Grants Program (Chapter 19 (commencing with Section 50899.1) of Part 2).
(viii) The National Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-289), and implementing federal regulations.
(ix) HOME Investment Partnerships Act (Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 50896)).
(x) Parolee or probation programs that are intended to prevent homelessness upon
release.
(B) An explanation of how the region is connecting, or will connect, individuals to wrap-around services from all eligible federal, state, and local benefit programs, including, but not limited to, housing and homelessness services and supports that are integrated with the broader social services systems and supports, including, but not limited to:
(i) CalWORKs (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).
(ii) CalFresh (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).
(iii) Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Program (SSI/SSP) (Subchapter 16 (commencing with Section 1381) of Chapter 7 of Title 42 of the United States
Code and Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 12000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code) and the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) pursuant to Chapter 10.3 (commencing with Section 18937) of Chapter 10.3 of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(iv) In-home supportive services.
(v) Adult protective services.
(vi) Child welfare.
(vii) Child care and development.
(viii) Disability benefits advocacy.
(ix) Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code).
(C) The plan may also include local, state, and federal funding uses of small jurisdictions in the region that elect to engage and collaborate on the plan pursuant to paragraph (4).
(6) A description of specific actions the region will take to ensure racial and gender equity in service delivery, housing placements, and housing retention and changes to procurement or other means of affirming racial and ethnic groups that are overrepresented among residents experiencing homelessness have equitable access to housing and services.
(d) Participating jurisdictions shall collaborate to complete the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan and shall engage in a public stakeholder process that includes at least three public meetings before completing the plan.
(e) The participating jurisdictions shall invite and encourage all of the following to engage in the public stakeholder process:
(1) People with lived experience of homelessness.
(2) Youth with lived experience of homelessness.
(3) Local department leaders and staff of qualifying small jurisdictions, including child welfare, health care, behavioral health, justice, and education system leaders.
(4) Homeless service and housing providers working in that region.
(5) Each Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan contracted with the State Department of Health Care Services in the region.
(6) Street medicine providers and other
providers directly serving people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.
(f) The regionally coordinated homelessness action plan shall be reflected in a memorandum of understanding committing each signatory to participation in, and to comply with, the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan.
(g) Smaller jurisdictions in the region may also sign the memorandum of understanding and commit to participation in, and compliance with, the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan. Counties are encouraged to allocate resources from program funding to smaller jurisdictions that participate in and commit to complying with the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan.
(h) Upon receipt of a proposed regionally coordinated homelessness action plan, the council shall review it in coordination
with the Department of Housing and Community Development, the State Department of Health Care Services, and the State Department of Social Services.
(i) A qualifying jurisdiction or continuum of care participating in a regionally coordinated homelessness action plan shall post on its internet website that proposed, approved, and amended regionally coordinated homelessness action plan.
(j) The council may consult with any local government, public agency, group, or person, and shall receive and consider any written comments from any public agency, group, or person, regarding the action by a participating jurisdiction in determining whether the regional coordinated homeless action plan substantially complies with this chapter.
50234.
(a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the funds administered pursuant to this chapter, less the set aside funds provided for the council’s costs of administration in subdivision (c) of Section 50232, shall be made available in the 2023–24 fiscal year for implementing round 5 of the program, as follows:(1) (A) Not more than 1 percent of the funding available pursuant to this section shall be available to applicants for the purpose of planning for and preparing the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan required by Section 50233.
(B) Planning funding allocations shall be distributed consistent with the applicant’s proportionate share of round
5 base funding made available pursuant to this chapter.
(C) Funding shall be provided on a reimbursement basis and made available upon the applicant receiving an approved round 5 base allocation.
(D) (i) Notwithstanding subparagraph (C), upon request of an applicant, the applicant shall receive an advance of funding made available pursuant to this paragraph.
(ii) An applicant shall apply for advance funding in a form and manner prescribed by the council.
(E) Unused funding made available pursuant to this paragraph shall at the time of round 5 base allocation awards be made available to the corresponding eligible applicant and expended consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
(2) Not more than 80 percent of the funding available pursuant to this section shall be available to cities, counties, or continuums of care, for basic program allocations, as follows:
(A) Thirty percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to continuums of care. The council shall calculate these allocations to a continuum of care based on each continuum of care’s proportionate share of the state’s total homeless population, based on the homeless point-in-time count. The council shall not award more than 40 percent of the allocation made pursuant to this subparagraph to a continuum of care.
(B) Forty-two percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to each city, or a city that is also a county, that has a population of 300,000 or more, as of January 1, 2022, according to data published on the Department of Finance’s
internet website. The council shall calculate the allocation to a city based on the city’s proportionate share of the total homeless population of the region served by the continuum of care within which the city is located, based on the homeless point-in-time count. The council shall not award more than 45 percent of the program allocation made pursuant to this subparagraph to a city. If more than one recipient within the continuum of care meets the requirements of this subparagraph, the proportionate share of funds shall be equally allocated to those jurisdictions.
(C) Twenty-eight percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to each county. The council shall calculate the allocation to a county based on the county’s proportionate share of the total homeless population of the region served by the continuum of care within which the county is located, based on the homeless point-in-time count. The council shall not award
more than 40 percent of the program allocation made pursuant to this subparagraph to a county.
(3) Not more than 17 percent of the funding available pursuant to this section shall be available to eligible cities and counties for the purpose of providing supplemental support for Homekey pursuant to Section 50237.
(4) Not more than 2 percent of the funding available pursuant to this section shall be available to tribal applicants. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the funds described in this paragraph shall be allocated as follows:
(A) A tribe may apply for program funds and the council shall make allocations to tribes on the basis of need. Tribes that apply for program funds pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall be allocated funds up to their requested amount, or up to a total of twenty million dollars
($20,000,000) collectively among all tribal applicants. If the total request for funds exceeds this amount, the council shall determine an allocation methodology based on each tribal applicant’s proportionate share of need relative to all tribes that submit an application for funding.
(B) A tribal applicant seeking funds pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the council, in the form and manner prescribed by the council, no later than June 30, 2024, with all of the following information:
(i) The amount of grant funds the tribe is requesting.
(ii) An explanation of the tribe’s local need, including an estimation of the number of people who need homelessness services and the current resources that exist.
(iii) A description of the
services on which the tribe plans to spend its grant funds. These activities shall be allowable pursuant to Section 50236.
(C) Any funds available to tribal applicants pursuant to this paragraph that are unallocated as of July 1, 2026, shall be reallocated as part of future program rounds or shall revert to the General Fund.
(D) A tribal applicant is encouraged to partner with a local continuum of care or coordinated entry system.
(b) An applicant applying for round 5 program funds pursuant to this section shall comply with the requirements set forth in Section 50220.6.
(c) A program recipient shall not use funding from the program allocated under this section to supplant existing local funds for homelessness services under penalty of disallowance or
reduction, or both, of future program funds, as determined by the council.
(d) (1) No more than 5 percent of the appropriated funds shall be used to cover state administrative costs pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 50232.
(2) The council may expend administrative funds until December 31, 2028, to complete grant closeout activities.
(e) A program recipient shall use at least 10 percent of the funds allocated under this section for services for homeless youth populations.
(f) Moneys allocated pursuant to this section shall be expended in compliance with Housing First as provided in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 8255) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
50235.
(a) The council shall make an application for round 5 base program allocations available no later than September 30, 2023.(b) Applications shall be due no later than 180 days from the date applications are made available pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(c) (1) Applicants from each region shall submit a single, regional application from their shared region.
(2) Each applicant shall have the discretion to receive their base program allocation directly or may designate a corresponding eligible applicant in their region to serve as the fiscal agent responsible for the
administration of funding made available pursuant to this chapter.
(d) Within 30 days of the application deadline pursuant to subdivision (b), the council shall either approve the application or return it to the applicant with written, detailed comments and request one or more of the following specific amendments to the application:
(1) Greater detail on any aspect of the application so the council can ensure fidelity with the applicant’s proposed use of funds and stated performance goals.
(2) Modifications or provision of additional information on the applicant’s proposed funding plan to ensure alignment with evidence-based solutions to reduce homelessness.
(3) Any other modifications or provision of information that would allow the council to better
monitor and evaluate the region’s compliance with its regionally coordinated homelessness action plan and whether it is meeting objective performance standards.
(e) (1) An applicant whose application has been returned pursuant to this section shall respond to the council’s requested amendments and submit a revised application within 30 days. Where the revised application differs from the council’s requests, the applicant shall include an explanation of the differences and the rationale for departing from requested amendments.
(2) The council shall have 30 days within which to approve the application if, as amended, it addressed the council’s concerns or to provide the grantee with additional guidance and a deadline for further amending to fully address the council’s concerns.
(f) (1) To receive a round 5 base program allocation, an applicant shall submit an application to the council. A complete application submitted pursuant to this section shall include, in the form and manner prescribed by the council, all of the following:
(A) A regionally coordinated homelessness action plan that complies with Section 50233.
(B) A detailed proposal for how the applicant intends to use the funds for which it is applying that complies with Section 50236.
(C) All other components that the council shall deem necessary to the proper administration of the program.
(2) Upon approval of an application pursuant to this section, the council shall disburse 50 percent of an eligible city’s, county’s, or continuum of care’s total allocation
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 50232.
(g) The council and recipients shall post final round 5 program applications to their respective internet websites within 30 days of disbursal to the applicant.
(h) (1) On or before January 31, 2026, a grantee shall submit to the council an updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan which shall include updates on the metrics and corresponding key actions carried out pursuant Section 50233, as applicable.
(2) The council shall, within 30 days, review and provide comments on complete regionally coordinated homelessness action plans or amendments and report its findings to the participating grantee, as applicable.
(3) The council shall approve the updated plan if the plan
substantially complies with the requirements of this section.
(4) The council may conditionally approve the plan and notify the participating jurisdictions in the region of specific changes needed to meet the requirements of this section. Participating jurisdictions shall accomplish these changes within 30 days of being notified by the council.
(5) The council shall have 30 days to review changes to conditionally approved plans and make a final determination of approval or rejection of the jurisdiction or regionally coordinated homelessness action plan update.
(6) (A) The council may reject the plan based on either one of the following:
(i) The region failed to submit a timely plan within 30 days from the date in paragraph (1).
(ii) The region failed to make needed changes to the plan within 30 days, if the council conditionally approved the plan.
(7) (A) The council may withhold the remaining 50 percent of funds from a jurisdiction that repeatedly failed to take action as specified in its regionally coordinated homelessness action plan, or that took actions adverse to achieving the plan objectives provided pursuant to Section 50233, until such time the jurisdiction demonstrates to the council they are in substantial compliance with the requirements of this paragraph.
(B) The council shall provide technical assistance and support of jurisdictions efforts to comply with the requirements of this paragraph.
(8) Regions are encouraged to update their memorandums
of understanding to reflect their updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan that have been approved pursuant to this subdivision.
(9) In making this determination the council may provide exceptions to the requirement if the recipient demonstrates hardship by a disaster for which a state of emergency is proclaimed by the Governor pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(10) Any proposed revision to a deemed compliant regionally coordinated action plan must be submitted to the council for review and approval. The council will have 30 days to review proposed amendments and make findings, including recommendations, until the proposed amendments are deemed compliant by the council.
(11) All proposed, approved, and amended regionally coordinated
homelessness action plans should be posted on the internet website of all participating jurisdictions and continuums of care participating in the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan.
(12) The council may consult with any local government, public agency, group, or person, and shall receive and consider any written comments from any public agency, group, or person, regarding the action by a participating jurisdiction in determining whether the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan substantially complies with this chapter.
(i) (1) A recipient shall contractually obligate not less than 75 percent, and shall expend not less than 50 percent, of the initial round 5 program allocations made to it pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) no later than June 30, 2026.
(2) Upon
compliance with subdivision (h) and demonstration by a recipient grantee that it has complied with the requirement to contractually obligate and expend a minimum amount of its round 5 program allocation pursuant to paragraph (1), the council shall disburse to that recipient the remaining 50 percent of its total base allocation pursuant to Section 50234.
(3) (A) If the requirements of paragraph (2) are not satisfied, the council shall not allocate to the recipient the remaining 50 percent of its total allocation, unless both of the following occur:
(i) On or before June 30, 2026, the recipient submits an alternative disbursement plan that includes an explanation for the delay.
(ii) The council approves the alternative disbursement plan submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(B) If a grantee does not satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (A), the council shall have the discretion to allocate the unused funding in a manner prescribed by the council.
(4) On or before December 31, 2027, a recipient shall return to the council any funds that have not been expended pursuant to an alternative disbursement plan approved pursuant to this paragraph, to be allocated as supplemental awards by the council in accordance with Section 50237.
(j) The council may request additional information from applicants, as needed, to meet other applicable reporting or audit requirements.
(k) In addition to requirements in Section 50222, the council may monitor the expenditures and programmatic activities of an applicant, as the council considers
necessary, to ensure compliance with round 5 program requirements.
(l) The council may, as it considers appropriate or necessary, request the repayment of round 5 program funds from an applicant, or pursue any other remedies available to it by law for failure to comply with program requirements.
(m) Any remaining amounts of round 5 base program allocation funds not expended by June 30, 2028, shall revert to, and be paid and deposited in, the General Fund.
50236.
(a) The intent of round 5 is to sustain existing federal, state, and local investments towards long-term sustainability of housing and supportive services.(b) Applicants shall develop data-driven plans which fund the state’s priorities.
(c) Provided that before proposing to use round 5 resources to fund new interim housing solutions, the applicant first demonstrates that the region has dedicated sufficient resources from other sources to long-term permanent housing solutions, including capital and operating costs, allowable uses of round 5 base program allocation funds include all of the following:
(1) Permanent
housing solutions, including all of the following:
(A) Rental subsidies, including to support placement of individuals in CARE Court.
(B) Landlord incentives, such as security deposits, holding fees, funding for needed repairs, and recruitment and relationship management costs.
(C) Move-in expenses.
(D) Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable or supportive housing units serving people experiencing homelessness, including programs such as Homekey, new or existing residential care facilities, funded by the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program or the Community Care Expansion Program. Operating subsidies may include operating reserves.
(E) Homelessness prevention
through rental assistance, rapid rehousing, and other programs, so long as they prioritize households with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income, who pay more than 50 percent of their income in housing costs, and who meet criteria for being at highest risk of homelessness through data-informed criteria adopted by the council.
(F) Problem-solving and diversion support programs that prevent people at risk of or recently experiencing homelessness from entering unsheltered or sheltered homelessness.
(G) Services for people in permanent housing, so long as the services are trauma-informed and practice harm reduction, to include intensive case management services, assertive community treatment services, critical time intervention services, other tenancy support services, evidence-based employment services, coordinating mental health, substance use, and primary care
treatment, or other evidence-based supportive services to increase housing retention.
(H) Capital for permanent housing that serves people experiencing homelessness, including conversion of underutilized buildings or existing interim or transitional housing into permanent housing.
(2) Interim housing solutions, including all of the following:
(A) Navigation centers that are low barrier, as defined in Sections 65660 and 65662 of the Government Code, to include any of the following:
(B) Operating expenses in existing congregate shelter sites.
(C) Operating expenses in new or existing noncongregate shelter sites and transitional housing for youth.
(D) Motel or hotel vouchers.
(E) Services provided to people in interim housing, to include trauma-informed and evidence-based intensive case management services, housing navigation, connecting people to substance use or mental health treatment, public benefits advocacy, and other supportive services to promote stability and referral into permanent housing.
(F) Capital funding to build new noncongregate shelter sites, including for construction, rehabilitation, and capital improvements to convert existing congregate sites into noncongregate sites.
(G) Capital funding for clinically enhanced congregate or noncongregate shelter sites.
(H) Youth-focused services in transitional housing.
(3) (A) Services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including street outreach, including, but not limited to, persons experiencing homelessness from encampment sites and those transitioning out of encampment sites funded by the program known as the Encampment Resolution Grant consistent with Section 50251 to access permanent housing and services. This includes evidence-based engagement services, intensive case management services, assertive community treatment, housing navigation, harm reduction services, coordination with street-based health care services, and hygiene services for people living in encampments and unsheltered individuals.
(B) Services coordination, which may include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in supportive housing.
(C) Systems support for activities necessary to create regional partnerships and maintain a homeless services and housing delivery system, particularly for vulnerable populations, including families and homeless youth.
(D) Improvements to existing emergency shelters to lower barriers and increase privacy.
(E) Any new interim sheltering funded by round 5 funds must be low-barrier, comply with Housing First as provided in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 8255) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and prioritize interventions other than congregate shelters.
(4) A program recipient shall not use funding from the program allocated under this section to supplant existing Encampment Resolution Grant funds provided under Section 50251.
(d) (1) Applicants may request, in a form prescribed by the council, approval to utilize round 5 funding on allowable expenditures outside of the state’s intended priorities, as enumerated in this section.
(2) The council may grant applicants preapproval to utilize program funding on allowable uses only after an applicant has demonstrated that state priorities are adequately resourced, and the applicant has exhausted all means to accomplish these priorities.
(e) An applicant shall not use more than 7 percent of a round 5 program allocation for administrative costs incurred by the city, county, continuum of care, or tribe to administer its program allocation. For purposes of this subdivision, “administrative costs” does not include staff or other costs directly related to implementing activities
funded by the program allocation.
(f) (1) The council may authorize an applicant to use up to an additional 1 percent for costs related to the Homeless Management Information System. Related costs include Homeless Management Information System licenses, training, system operating costs, and costs associated with carrying out related activities.
(2) Upon agreement between the grantee and the Homeless Management Information System lead entity, the grantee shall transfer the authorized amount of funds pursuant to paragraph (1) for related costs to the Homeless Management Information System lead entity. The council shall specify the method and manner for this transfer of funds.
(g) A recipient of a round 5 program allocation shall comply with Housing First as provided in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with
Section 8255) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(h) Notwithstanding Section 27011 of the Government Code, or any other law governing the deposit of funds in the county treasury, a county may accept or deposit into the county treasury funds from any source for the purpose of administering a project, proposal, or program under this chapter.
(i) For purposes of Section 1090 of the Government Code, a representative of a county serving on a board, committee, or body with the primary purpose of administering funds or making funding recommendations for applications pursuant to this chapter shall have no financial interest in any contract, program, or project voted on by the board, committee, or body on the basis of the receipt of compensation for holding public office or public employment as a representative of the county.
50237.
(a) For the purposes of this section, the supplemental Homekey program shall be the same as the program set forth in Section 50675.1.3, except that the applicants are limited to those described in meeting the criteria set forth in subdivisions (b) and (c).(b) Cities and counties that are eligible for round 5 shall be eligible, separately, for supplemental Homekey funding pursuant to this section.
(c) To be eligible for the supplemental Homekey program, a city or county must satisfy the following:
(1) Have a compliant Housing Element as defined in Section 65589.9 of the Government Code at the time program
applications must be submitted.
(2) Have an approved regionally coordinated homelessness action plan pursuant to this chapter.
(d) On or before July 1, 2024, the council shall make an application available for supplemental Homekey funding.
(e) Funding allocated by this section shall consist of round 5 funding provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 50234.
50238.
Funding shall be distributed, upon appropriation of the Legislature, as follows:(a) For 2023–24 fiscal year funding, one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) shall be made available to cities, counties, and continuums of care that are eligible for round 5 consistent with the formula funding distribution provided by this chapter and upon approval of their regionally coordinated homelessness action plan pursuant to the requirements of round 5 provided pursuant to this chapter.
(b) (1) For 2024–25 fiscal year funding, two hundred sixty million dollars ($260,000,000) shall be made available to cities, counties, and continuums of care that are eligible for round 5, who shall be
eligible, separately, for supplemental program funding pursuant to this section consistent with the formula funding distribution provided by this chapter upon satisfying all of the following, as applicable:
(A) The city, county, or continuum of care has an approved regionally coordinated homelessness action plan pursuant to this chapter.
(B) The city or county demonstrates it has a compliant housing element as defined in Section 65589.9 of the Government Code.
(C) A city or county shall not receive funding provided pursuant to this subdivision until it has satisfied subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1).
(c) The council shall award supplemental program funding available pursuant to subdivision (b) upon the jurisdiction receiving its round 5 base allocation
award.
(d) On or before November 1, 2024, the council shall make an application available for supplemental program funding pursuant to subdivision (c).