Currrent as of February 4, 2022
Senate Bill No. 1360
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Introduced by Assembly Member Santiago |
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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. Project Roomkey.
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.
This bill would require each city, county, or city and county to make every effort to ensure that individuals housed pursuant to Project Roomkey 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 city, county, or city and county must consider in developing the plan.
This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to ensure that adequate and ongoing resources and supports are provided to local governments to ensure the success of homelessness prevention programs implemented at the local level, 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.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal Committee: yes Local Program: yes
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 make every effort to ensure that individuals housed pursuant to Project Roomkey 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 from returning to homelessness. In developing the plan, each city, county, or city and county shall consider at least all of the following:
(a) 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.
(b) 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.
It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that adequate and ongoing resources and supports are provided to local governments to ensure the success of homelessness prevention programs implemented at the local level, and to ensure 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.
AB 1360