Housing First And Coordinating Council - - CA Welfare And Institutions

Section § 8255

This section explains key terms used in laws related to tackling homelessness in California. First, the 'Council' refers to the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. 'Core components of Housing First' highlights a no-barrier approach to housing, meaning applicants shouldn't be turned away due to issues like substance use or credit history, and supportive services are offered without a requirement to engage in them. It also emphasizes tenant rights and nondiscriminatory tenant selection.

The term 'Housing First' is described as an approach prioritizing immediate housing access, accompanied by voluntary services. Provisions emphasize helping homeless youth with special considerations like youth development programs. Lastly, 'State programs' refers to initiatives by state agencies aimed at providing housing-related services, excluding federally funded ones at odds with these terms.

For purposes of this chapter:

(a) “Council” means the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, formerly known as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council established pursuant to Section 8257.

(b) “Core components of Housing First” means all of the following:

(1) Tenant screening and selection practices that promote accepting applicants regardless of their sobriety or use of substances, completion of treatment, or participation in services.

(2) Applicants are not rejected on the basis of poor credit or financial history, poor or lack of rental history, criminal convictions unrelated to tenancy, or behaviors that indicate a lack of “housing readiness.”

(3) Acceptance of referrals directly from shelters, street outreach, drop-in centers, and other parts of crisis response systems frequented by vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.

(4) Supportive services that emphasize engagement and problem solving over therapeutic goals and service plans that are highly tenant-driven without predetermined goals.

(5) Participation in services or program compliance is not a condition of permanent housing tenancy.

(6) Tenants have a lease and all the rights and responsibilities of tenancy, as outlined in California’s Civil, Health and Safety, and Government codes.

(7) The use of alcohol or drugs in and of itself, without other lease violations, is not a reason for eviction.

(8) In communities with coordinated assessment and entry systems, incentives for funding promote tenant selection plans for supportive housing that prioritize eligible tenants based on criteria other than “first-come-first-serve,” including, but not limited to, the duration or chronicity of homelessness, vulnerability to early mortality, or high utilization of crisis services. Prioritization may include triage tools, developed through local data, to identify high-cost, high-need homeless residents.

(9) Case managers and service coordinators who are trained in and actively employ evidence-based practices for client engagement, including, but not limited to, motivational interviewing and client-centered counseling.

(10) Services are informed by a harm-reduction philosophy that recognizes drug and alcohol use and addiction as a part of tenants’ lives, where tenants are engaged in nonjudgmental communication regarding drug and alcohol use, and where tenants are offered education regarding how to avoid risky behaviors and engage in safer practices, as well as connected to evidence-based treatment if the tenant so chooses.

(11) The project and specific apartment may include special physical features that accommodate disabilities, reduce harm, and promote health and community and independence among tenants.

(c) “Homeless” has the same definition as that term is defined in Section 91.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

(d)

(1) “Housing First” means the evidence-based model that uses housing as a tool, rather than a reward, for recovery and that centers on providing or connecting homeless people to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Housing First providers offer services as needed and requested on a voluntary basis and that do not make housing contingent on participation in services.

(2)

(A) “Housing First” includes time-limited rental or services assistance, so long as the housing and service provider assists the recipient in accessing permanent housing and in securing longer term rental assistance, income assistance, or employment.

(B) For time-limited, supportive services programs serving homeless youth, programs should use a positive youth development model and be culturally competent to serve unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age. Providers should work with the youth to engage in family reunification efforts, where appropriate and when in the best interest of the youth. In the event of an eviction, programs shall make every effort, which shall be documented, to link tenants to other stable, safe, decent housing options. Exit to homelessness should be extremely rare, and only after a tenant refuses assistance with housing search, location, and move-in assistance.

(e) “State programs” means any programs a California state agency or department funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing emergency shelter, interim housing, housing, or housing-based services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, with the exception of federally funded programs with requirements inconsistent with this chapter.

California Interagency Council on Homelessness Housing First no-barrier housing tenant rights substance use voluntary services homeless youth programs youth development culturally competent services homelessness prevention supportive housing emergency shelter interim housing non-judgmental communication prioritization criteria for housing

(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 297, Sec. 5. (SB 1395) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Section § 8256

This law section centers on the collaboration between California state programs and the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to implement 'Housing First' principles, which prioritize providing stable housing before addressing other issues. Programs should have updated guidelines to align with these principles. Certain programs related to parolees and their recovery housing have specific rules on participant agreements, alternative housing options, and data reporting.

Moreover, state homelessness programs must enter data into local management systems, with procedures and timelines set for compliance. There is an emphasis on technical assistance if needed, and extensions are possible for meeting requirements.

(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), agencies and departments administering state programs created on or after July 1, 2017, shall collaborate with the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to adopt guidelines and regulations to incorporate core components of Housing First.

(b) By July 1, 2019, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), agencies and departments administering state programs in existence prior to July 1, 2017, shall collaborate with the council to revise or adopt guidelines and regulations that incorporate the core components of Housing First, if the existing guidelines and regulations do not already incorporate the core components of Housing First.

(c)

(1) For the Returning Home Well Program, the Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming Program, and the Long-Term Offender Reentry Recovery Program, all of which are administered by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which fund recovery housing, as defined in paragraph (3), for parolees, as defined by Section 3000 of Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall do all of the following:

(A) In coordination with the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, consult with the Legislature, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, the California Health and Human Services Agency, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other stakeholders to identify ways to improve the provision of housing to individuals who receive funding from that agency or department, consistent with the applicable requirements of state law.

(B) Comply with the core components of Housing First, other than those components described in paragraphs (5) to (7), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 8255.

(i) A recovery housing program participant shall sign an agreement upon entry that outlines the roles and responsibilities of both the participant and the program administrator to ensure individuals are aware of actions that could result in removal from the recovery housing program. Violations of the agreement shall not automatically result in discharge from the recovery housing program.

(ii) Efforts to link program participants to alternative housing options, including interim sheltering, permanent housing, or transitional housing, shall be documented. If a recovery housing program participant chooses to stop living in a housing setting with a recovery focus, is discharged from the program, or is removed from housing, the program administrator shall offer assistance in accessing other housing and services options, including options operated with harm-reduction principles, and identifying an alternative housing placement. This clause does not apply to an individual who leaves the program without notifying the program administrator.

(iii) The program administrator shall offer program participants who inform the program administrator that they are leaving the program one or more of the following:

(I) Tenant housing navigation services to permanent housing.

(II) Connections to alternative housing providers.

(III) Access to supportive services.

(IV) Intake into a locally-coordinated entry system.

(V) Warm handoff to a partner homeless services provider offering housing navigation.

(iv) The recovery housing program administrator shall track and report annually, to the program’s state funding source, the housing outcome for each program participant who is discharged, including, but not limited to, the following information:

(I) The number of homeless individuals with a housing need served by the program funds that year, as well as the demographics of the population served.

(II) Outcome data for all individuals served through program funds, including the type of housing that the individuals were connected to, the type of housing the individuals were exited to, the percent of housing exits that were successful, and exit types of unsuccessful housing exits.

(v) The department shall make every effort to ensure that exits to homelessness are extremely rare.

(2) The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall make efforts to reduce recidivism by offering participation to formerly incarcerated persons in recovery housing programs. Connections to safe and supportive housing is a critical priority for successful community reintegration.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “recovery housing” means sober living facilities and programs that provide housing in a recovery-focused and peer-supported community for people recovering from substance use issues. Participation is voluntary, unless that participation is pursuant to a court order or is a condition of release for individuals under the jurisdiction of a county probation department or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(d)

(1) Beginning on January 1, 2023, a grantee or entity operating any of the following state homelessness programs, as a condition of receiving state funds, shall enter the required data elements described in paragraph (8) on the individuals and families it serves into its local Homeless Management Information System, as required by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development guidance described in paragraph (8), unless otherwise exempted by state or federal law:

(A) The program referred to as Homekey, as described in Section 50675.1.1 of the Health and Safety Code.

(B) The Housing for a Healthy California Program established pursuant to Part 14.2 (commencing with Section 53590) of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.

(D) The Multifamily Housing Program (Chapter 6.7 (commencing with Section 50675) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code).

(E) The Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014, as established by Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 987.001) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code.

(F) The Bringing Families Home Program, as established by Article 6 (commencing with Section 16523) of Chapter 5 of Part 4 of Division 9.

(G) The CalWORKs Housing Support Program, as established by Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 11330) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 9.

(H) The Housing and Disability Income Advocacy Program, as established by Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 18999) of Part 6 of Division 9.

(I) The Community Colleges Homeless and Housing Insecure Pilot Project, as established by funds appropriated by the Budget Act of 2019.

(J) The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program established in Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216) of Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) Council staff, in consultation with respective administering state agencies or departments, shall specify the entry format and disclosure frequency for the programs subject to this subdivision to submit the data elements as specified in paragraph (1) to inform and meet the council’s statewide objectives and goals described in Section 8257.

(3)

(A) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall additionally apply to all new state homelessness programs that commence on or after July 1, 2021.

(B) New state homelessness programs and new grantees of the existing state programs described in paragraph (1) may be granted an extension of up to one year from program launch to meet the requirements of this subdivision.

(4) For purposes of this subdivision, state homelessness programs are defined as those programs that are funded, in whole or in part, by the state with the express purpose of addressing or preventing homelessness or providing services to people experiencing homelessness. This definition shall be broadly construed for the purpose of carrying out the requirements of this subdivision.

(5) The requirements of paragraphs (1) and (3) do not supplant any existing requirements imposed on a grantee or entity operating a state program described in this subdivision that require the program to report data into their local Homeless Management Information Systems before January 1, 2023.

(6)

(A) Any grantee or entity operating a program described in paragraph (1) or (3) that does not already collect and enter into the local Homeless Management Information System the data elements required under this subdivision shall, upon request, receive technical assistance and guidance from council staff and, as available, from federal partners, including, but not limited to, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(B) When a grantee or entity operating a program requests technical assistance, the council shall inform the respective administering state agency or department and offer the opportunity to partner or coordinate the provision of technical assistance.

(7) Any grantee or entity operating a program described in paragraph (1) shall, upon request, be granted an extension to meet the requirements in this subdivision, provided noncompliant grantees are making good faith progress towards meeting the requirements. An extension granted under this paragraph shall not extend beyond July 1, 2023. For purposes of this paragraph, “making good faith progress” includes, but is not limited to, engaging in technical assistance offered under paragraph (6) and establishing a plan to comply with this subdivision.

(8) For purposes of this subdivision, required data elements are the Universal Data Elements (Items 3.01–3.917) and the Common Data Elements (Items 4.02–4.20 and Item W5 of the Individual Federal Partner Program Elements) drawn from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Management Information System Data Standards. When necessary, due to federal changes to the items indicated in this paragraph, the required data elements may be amended to maintain alignment with federal standards.

(9) Beginning January 1, 2022, council staff shall provide aggregate data summaries collected in full pursuant to this subdivision to the respective administering state agencies or departments that oversee relevant programs within 45 days of receipt. Where feasible, council staff shall notify the respective administering state agencies or departments at least 14 days before sharing, publicly using, or referencing the data, including, but not limited to, using the data for any substantive analysis, summary statistics, or other findings.

(e) The Board of State and Community Corrections Adult Reentry Grant programs that fund recovery housing subject to this chapter shall apply the requirements of this chapter prospectively beginning July 1, 2022, through any new contracts or agreements.

Housing First California Interagency Council on Homelessness state programs guidelines Returning Home Well Program recovery housing Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation recidivism Homeless Management Information System data entry Homekey No Place Like Home Program Veterans Housing Bringing Families Home Program CalWORKs Housing Support Program

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 70, Sec. 48. (SB 197) Effective June 30, 2022.)

Section § 8257

The Governor of California is required to establish an Interagency Council on Homelessness. This council's goals include overseeing homeless-related programs, creating partnerships among various stakeholders, and promoting efficient system integration to address homelessness. Key objectives involve coordinating funding opportunities, making policy recommendations, gathering data through a Homeless Data Integration System, and improving services for individuals and youth experiencing homelessness. The council consists of representatives from different state departments, and they hold public meetings quarterly. An advisory committee, reflecting diverse backgrounds and experiences, provides additional guidance. Members with lived experience of homelessness receive compensation, which is exempt from tax and government program eligibility considerations.

(a) The Governor shall create an Interagency Council on Homelessness.

(b) The council shall have all of the following goals:

(1) To oversee implementation of this chapter.

(2) To identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California.

(3) To create partnerships among state agencies and departments, local government agencies, participants in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program, federal agencies, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, nonprofit entities working to end homelessness, homeless services providers, and the private sector, for the purpose of arriving at specific strategies to end homelessness.

(4) To promote systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness while focusing on designing systems to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age.

(5) To coordinate existing funding and applications for funding. Any action taken pursuant to this paragraph shall not restructure or change any existing allocations or allocation formulas.

(A) To ensure eligible applicants are informed of opportunities to apply for funding, council staff shall develop and regularly maintain a strategic funding guide and a calendar of new or existing funding opportunities.

(B) Agencies and departments administering state programs shall provide the council updated information on new or existing funding opportunities on a quarterly basis.

(6) To make policy and procedural recommendations to legislators and other governmental entities.

(7) To identify and seek funding opportunities for state entities that have programs to end homelessness, including, but not limited to, federal and philanthropic funding opportunities, and to facilitate and coordinate those state entities’ efforts to obtain that funding.

(8) To broker agreements between state agencies and departments and between state agencies and departments and local jurisdictions to align and coordinate resources, reduce administrative burdens of accessing existing resources, and foster common applications for services, operating, and capital funding.

(9) To serve as a statewide facilitator, coordinator, and policy development resource on ending homelessness in California.

(10) To report to the Governor, federal Cabinet members, and the Legislature on homelessness and work to reduce homelessness.

(11) To ensure accountability and results in meeting the strategies and goals of the council.

(12) To identify and implement strategies to fight homelessness in small communities and rural areas.

(13) To create a statewide data system or warehouse, which shall be known as the Homeless Data Integration System, that collects local data through Homeless Management Information Systems, with the ultimate goal of matching data on homelessness to programs impacting homeless recipients of state programs, such as the Medi-Cal program (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 14000) of Part 3 of Division 9) and CalWORKs (Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11200) of Part 3 of Division 9). Upon creation of the Homeless Data Integration System, all continuums of care, as defined in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, that are operating in California shall provide collected data elements, including, but not limited to, health information, in a manner consistent with federal law, to the Homeless Data Integration System.

(A) Council staff shall specify the form and substance of the required data elements.

(B) Council staff may, as required by operational necessity, and in accordance with paragraph (8) of subdivision (d) of Section 8256, amend or modify data elements, disclosure formats, or disclosure frequency.

(C)

(i) To further the efforts to improve the public health, safety, and welfare of people experiencing homelessness in the state, council staff may collect data from the continuums of care as provided in this paragraph.

(ii) Council staff shall, upon request, share personally identifiable, individual-level data from the Homeless Data Integration System with an agency or department that is a member of the council for purposes of measuring housing instability and examining the effectiveness of, and need for, housing and homelessness programs and other antipoverty programs among Californians.

(iii) Data disclosed pursuant to this subparagraph shall be in compliance with the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code).

(D) Any health information or personal identifying information provided to, or maintained within, the Homeless Data Integration System shall not be subject to public inspection or disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code).

(E) For purposes of this paragraph, “health information” includes “protected health information,” as defined in Section 160.103 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and “medical information,” as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 56.05 of the Civil Code.

(14) To set goals to prevent and end homelessness among California’s youth.

(15) To improve the safety, health, and welfare of young people experiencing homelessness in the state.

(16) To increase system integration and coordinating efforts to prevent homelessness among youth who are currently or formerly involved in the child welfare system or the juvenile justice system.

(17) To lead efforts to coordinate a spectrum of funding, policy, and practice efforts related to young people experiencing homelessness.

(18) To identify best practices to ensure homeless minors who may have experienced maltreatment, as described in Section 300, are appropriately referred to, or have the ability to self-refer to, the child welfare system.

(19) To collect, compile, and make available to the public financial data provided to the council from all state-funded homelessness programs.

(A)

(i) Commencing with the 2025–26 fiscal year, and every fiscal year thereafter, council staff shall collect fiscal and outcome data from state agencies and departments administering state homelessness programs with a grantee or entity that is required to enter data elements on individuals and families it serves pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 8256. The state agencies and departments shall submit the fiscal and outcome data to council staff on or before February 1, 2027, and annually thereafter.

(ii) Council staff, in collaboration with the respective administering state agencies or departments, shall specify the data elements, entry format, and disclosure frequency of fiscal and outcome data.

(iii) Council staff may aggregate fiscal and outcome data in a manner it sees fit, and, in consultation with the respective administering state agencies or departments, shall make the data publicly available on or before June 1, 2027, and annually thereafter.

(B) For the purposes of this paragraph:

(i) “Fiscal data” includes, but is not limited to, funding sources, budget allocations, obligations, and expenditures, and any other financial data needed to assess a state homelessness program. Fiscal data collected pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be limited to only the data authorized to be collected or requested from a grantee by administering agencies and departments based on the specific program’s authority or grant agreement.

(ii) “Outcome data” includes, but is not limited to, data relating to people exiting into permanent housing and data elements described in subdivision (d) of Section 8256. Outcome data collected pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be limited to only the data authorized to be collected or requested from a grantee by administering agencies and departments based on the specific program’s authority or grant agreement.

(c)

(1) The council shall consist of the following members:

(A) The Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing and the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, who both shall serve as cochairs of the council.

(B) The Director of Transportation.

(D) The Director of Social Services.

(E) The Director of the California Housing Finance Agency.

(F) The Director or the State Medicaid Director of Health Care Services.

(G) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

(H) The Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(I) The Governor’s Tribal Advisor.

(J) The Executive Director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee in the Treasurer’s office.

(K) The State Public Health Officer.

(L) The Director of the California Department of Aging.

(M) The Director of Rehabilitation.

(N) The Director of State Hospitals.

(O) The executive director of the California Workforce Development Board.

(P) The Director of Emergency Services.

(Q) A representative from the State Department of Education, who shall be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

(R) A representative of the state public higher education system who shall be from one of the following:

(i) The California Community Colleges.

(ii) The University of California.

(iii) The California State University.

(2) The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint one member to the council from two different stakeholder organizations.

(3) The council may, at its discretion, invite stakeholders, individuals who have experienced homelessness, members of philanthropic communities, and experts to participate in meetings or provide information to the council.

(4) The council shall hold public meetings at least once every quarter.

(d) The council shall regularly seek guidance from and, at least twice a year, meet with an advisory committee. Notwithstanding Section 11123.5 of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), all members of the advisory committee may participate remotely in advisory committee meetings, including meetings held with the council, and no members are required to be present at the designated primary physical meeting location. The cochairs of the council shall appoint members to this advisory committee that reflects racial and gender diversity, and shall include the following:

(1) A survivor of gender-based violence who formerly experienced homelessness.

(2) Representatives of local agencies or organizations that participate in the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Continuum of Care Program.

(3) Stakeholders with expertise in solutions to homelessness and best practices from other states.

(4) Representatives of committees on African Americans, youth, and survivors of gender-based violence.

(5) A currently or formerly homeless person who lives in California.

(6) A currently or formerly homeless youth who lives in California.

(7) A currently or formerly homeless person with a developmental disability.

(8) This advisory committee shall designate one of the above-described members to participate in every quarterly council meeting to provide a report to the council on advisory committee activities.

(e) Within existing funding, the council may establish working groups, task forces, or other structures from within its membership or with outside members to assist it in its work. Working groups, task forces, or other structures established by the council shall determine their own meeting schedules.

(f) Upon request of the council, a state agency or department that administers one or more state homelessness programs, including, but not limited to, an agency or department represented on the council pursuant to subdivision (c), the agency or department shall be required to do both of the following:

(1) Participate in council workgroups, task forces, or other similar administrative structures.

(2) Provide to the council any relevant information regarding those state homelessness programs.

(g)

(1) The members of the council, advisory committee, or working groups who are or have been homeless may receive per diem and reimbursement for travel or other expenses as follows:

(A) A member of the council who is or has been homeless shall receive a per diem of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day during which that member is engaged in the performance of official duties and shall also be reimbursed for travel and other expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of official duties.

(B) A member of the advisory committee who is or has been homeless shall receive a per diem of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day during which that member is engaged in the performance of official duties and shall also be reimbursed for travel and other expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of official duties.

(C) A member of a working group, as defined and managed by council staff, who is or has been homeless shall receive a per diem of one hundred dollars ($100) for each day during which that member is engaged in the performance of official duties and shall also be reimbursed for travel and other expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of official duties.

(2)

(A) A per diem or reimbursement request pursuant to paragraph (1) is subject to funding availability.

(B) Notwithstanding any other law, assistance provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not be deemed to be income for purposes of the Personal Income Tax Law (Part 10 (commencing with Section 17001) of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code) or used to determine eligibility for any state program or local program financed wholly or in part by state funds.

(3)

(A) For purposes of complying with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 41 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, as it pertains to this subdivision, the Legislature finds and declares as follows:

(i) The specific goals, purposes, and objectives that the exemptions created by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) are as follows:

(I) The objective is to facilitate the participation of individuals with lived homelessness experience in order to include valuable insight from those lived experiences in shaping policy recommendations.

(II) The goal is to prevent members with lived homelessness experience from incurring tax liability because of their participation.

(III) The purpose is to enable participants with lived homelessness experience to receive the full benefit of their per diem and reimbursements.

(ii) The performance indicators the Legislature can use to determine if the exemption is achieving the goals, purposes, and objectives stated in clause (i) shall be as follows:

(I) Whether the council, advisory committee, or working group members with lived homelessness experience incur any tax liability because of their participation on the committee.

(II) The number of people with lived homelessness experience who serve on the council, advisory committee, and working groups.

(B)

(i) For purposes of complying with paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 41 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, as it pertains to this subdivision, the Legislative Analyst’s Office shall deliver to the Legislature on or before April 1 of each year a written report that includes both of the following:

(I) The estimated aggregate tax liability incurred by council, advisory committee, or working group members with lived homelessness experience because of their participation on the committee.

(II) The estimated number of people with lived homelessness experience who serve on the council, advisory committee, or working groups that excluded qualified amounts from gross income as described in paragraph (1).

(ii) A report submitted pursuant to this subparagraph shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(iii) The reporting requirement pursuant to this subparagraph shall become inoperative on April 1, 2028, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(4) For purposes of this subdivision, “the performance of official duties” includes, but is not limited to, attending a council, advisory, or working group meeting and reviewing agenda materials for no more than one day in preparation for each council, advisory, or working group meeting.

(h) The appointed members of the council or committees, as described in this section, shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.

(i) The Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency shall provide staff for the council.

(j) The members of the council may enter into memoranda of understanding with other members of the council to achieve the goals set forth in this chapter, as necessary, in order to facilitate communication and cooperation between the entities the members of the council represent.

(k) There shall be an executive officer of the council under the direction of the Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing.

(l) The council shall be under the direction of the executive officer and staffed by employees of the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency.

Interagency Council on Homelessness homelessness programs funding coordination system integration data collection Homeless Data Integration System policy recommendations state departments stakeholder partnerships youth homelessness public meetings advisory committee lived experience compensation goal setting data privacy

(Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 263, Sec. 2. (AB 799) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Section § 8257.01

This section empowers a council to use the skills and expertise of state departments and agencies to help run their programs. The council can also assign a state agency or department to manage certain programs and pay them for their services, if needed.

(a) Consistent with the authority provided in subdivision (l) of Section 8257, the council shall leverage the programmatic and administrative expertise of relevant state departments and agencies.

(b) The council may also designate and reimburse a state agency or department to administer programs and related functions as it considers necessary.

council authority state departments program administration administrative expertise program function delegation state agency designation reimburse agencies state programs administrative support programmatic expertise agency collaboration program management reimbursement for services agency roles necessary functions

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 40, Sec. 23. (AB 129) Effective July 10, 2023.)

Section § 8257.1

This law aims to gather reliable information to better connect funding with existing resources to prevent and end homelessness, while also improving future planning. The coordinating council is tasked with completing a statewide homelessness assessment, which will provide detailed insights into state-run programs addressing homelessness, including funding, service categories, and geographic distribution.

The assessment will collect data on programs, their outcomes, and demographics of those served, analyzing various aspects such as housing units, financial support, emergency shelter availability, and services offered. It will also examine the effectiveness of these programs in terms of moving individuals out of homelessness and preventing homelessness.

Reports will be submitted to relevant committees, and the definitions of terms like 'chronic homelessness' and 'homeless' are provided. The collection and sharing of data will be encouraged, and existing local data can be utilized to complement the assessment.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to obtain trustworthy information to connect funding allocated to prevent and end homelessness with established sheltering and housing resources and to provide state agencies with accurate information to allow for more accurate forecasting to target future investments. To advance these goals, the coordinating council shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, do all of the following:

(1) Conduct, or contract with an entity to conduct, a statewide homelessness assessment that will do all of the following:

(A) Identify all programs a state agency funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing unsheltered outreach services, emergency shelter, housing or housing-based services to persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and do all of the following:

(i) Identify homelessness interventions and service categories available statewide and in geographically diverse regions across the state.

(ii) Compile the amount of funding distributed to local jurisdictions and its stated intent by the administering entity.

(iii) Identify the intended uses for the funds identified pursuant to clause (ii) by type of intervention as stated by local jurisdictions requesting funding made available for housing- or homelessness-related services.

(iv) Identify conditions or premise of the funds identified pursuant to clause (ii) as it relates to leveraging nonstate dollars.

(v) If applicable, reasons for the unavailability of data.

(B) Obtain the following information for each program identified in subparagraph (A) to the extent that data is available in local Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), the Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS) or other readily available data sources:

(i) The number of permanent housing units that the program made available.

(ii) The amount of rental subsides, vouchers, or other forms of financial support intended to prevent homelessness or to rehouse individuals that the program made available.

(iii) The number of emergency shelter beds, vouchers, or units that the program made available.

(iv) The wrap around services that the program offered.

(C) Collect data, to the extent data it is available, on the numbers and demographics of persons served through the identified services, including, but not limited to, a quantification of the disparities across age, race, ethnicity, and other demographics based on the following subpopulation categories to describe the homelessness population relative to the general population:

(i) Young adults.

(ii) Unaccompanied minors.

(iii) Single adults experiencing either chronic or nonchronic patterns of homelessness, of first-time homelessness.

(iv) Adults over 50 years of age.

(v) Veterans.

(vi) Families experiencing either chronic or nonchronic patterns of homelessness, or first-time homelessness.

(D) For each program identified pursuant to subparagraph (A) that provides housing or homelessness-related services, collect and analyze the following data:

(i) The number of persons served annually by service or intervention type by age, gender, and racial subgroupings.

(ii) Typical service mix use to develop portrait of the “types” of system clients to better understand the holistic needs of people experiencing homelessness and to forecast future uses and policies of resources intended to address homelessness.

(iii) The service, services, or service mixes that are associated with individuals exiting homelessness.

(iv) The duration and frequency individuals accessed services, on average, and the length of time from program intake to the date the individual moves into permanent housing or resolves homelessness.

(v) Each type of housing and each type of intervention provided disaggregated by age, racial, and gender characteristics of recipients.

(vi) The number of individuals whose homelessness was prevented after accessing homelessness prevention services

(vii) Information about the people who accessed the resources identified in subparagraph (B) and disaggregated by demographic characteristics described in subparagraph (C).

(viii) Analyze the results of current permanent and interim housing programs by program type.

(ix) Additional data necessary to provide a comprehensive view of the homelessness response system.

(E) Provide the reasons for lack of data availability, if applicable.

(2)

(A) For purposes of collecting data to conduct the assessment pursuant to paragraph (1), evaluate available data, including, but not limited to, HDIS, data from state agencies administering homelessness funds, statewide and local homeless point-in-time counts and housing inventory counts, and available statewide information on the number or rate of persons exiting state-funded institutional settings, including, but not limited to, state prisons and, to the extent possible, local jails, into homelessness.

(B) The coordinating council may work with a technical assistance provider from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to complete the assessment.

(C) For purposes of collecting data pursuant to paragraph (1), a local government may collaborate with the coordinating council or the entity conducting the statewide assessment to, if available, share existing data from existing local analyses of system needs or gaps to complement other data requested.

(D) The coordinating council shall submit an interim report by July 1, 2022, to the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, the Assembly Committee on Budget, Senate Committee on Housing, and Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. The report submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(E) The council shall report on the final assessment by December 31, 2022, to the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee, the Assembly Committee on Budget, Senate Committee on Housing, and Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. The report submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall comply with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(b) For purposes of this section, all of the following definitions apply:

(1) “Chronic homelessness” has the same definition as that in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as that section read on January 1, 2020.

(2) “State-funded institutional settings” include, but are not limited to, justice, juvenile justice, child welfare, and health care settings.

(3) “Young adult” means a person 18 to 24 years of age, inclusive.

(4) “Persons at risk of homelessness” means a person or family in the circumstances described in Section 11302(a)(5) of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(5) “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.

homelessness assessment sheltering resources state agency programs emergency shelter program funding analysis homeless management information systems permanent housing units demographic data homeless subpopulations housing interventions program effectiveness data collection services analysis homelessness prevention chronic homelessness

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 111, Sec. 27. (AB 140) Effective July 19, 2021.)

Section § 8257.2

This law requires state agencies with representation on the coordinating council to provide specific data about their programs, such as the number of people leaving state-funded institutions and becoming homeless, within 60 days of a request. Extensions can be granted to ensure data quality. Personal information must be removed from the data.

Once the coordinating council receives data related to local programs, it must pass it on to appropriate state agencies within 45 days. The council and agencies will collaborate on data delivery, ensuring security and privacy. The council should notify agencies at least seven days in advance if the data will be used publicly or for analysis.

Terms like 'personally identifying information' and 'state-funded institutional settings' include specific examples like justice, child welfare, and healthcare systems.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of designing, collecting data for, and approving the assessment described in Section 8257.1, a state agency that has a member on the coordinating council shall, within 60 days of a request for data pertaining to that state agency, provide to the council, or the entity conducting the assessment, the requested data, including, but not limited to, the number or rate of persons exiting state-funded institutional settings into homelessness. State agencies shall be granted reasonable extensions beyond 60 days as necessary to produce high quality data. The state department or agency shall remove any personally identifying data provided pursuant to this subdivision, if any.

(b) The coordinating council shall provide the local data collected pursuant to Section 8257.1 to the respective administering state agencies overseeing those programs within 45 days of receipt.

(1) The coordinating council and the state agency receiving data pursuant to this subdivision shall work in collaboration to determine the format and timing of delivery of local data collected to comply with data security and privacy practices and availability of staff to execute requests.

(2) When feasible, the coordinating council shall notify the state agency receiving data pursuant to this subdivision at least seven days prior to sharing or publicly using or referencing the data, including, but not limited to, using the data for any substantive analysis summary statistics, or other findings.

(1) “Personally identifying information” has the same meaning as that in Section 1798.79.8 of the Civil Code.

(2) “State-funded institutional settings” include, but are not limited to, justice, juvenile justice, child welfare, and health care settings.

coordinating council data state agency data sharing homelessness data data privacy data security personally identifying information state-funded institutions institutional exit data data quality extensions collaboration on data public use data notice child welfare settings juvenile justice data healthcare setting exits justice system data

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 111, Sec. 28. (AB 140) Effective July 19, 2021.)