SACRAMENTO â Today, Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva (D - Orange County) has introduced Assembly Bill 816 (AB 816), with 8 coauthors from the Assembly and the Senate, to establish a Flexible Housing Program (FHP) securing quality housing that Californians experiencing homelessness can afford. The State FHP would consolidate funding for people experiencing homelessness into one centralized resource. Cities, counties, and Continuums of Care would then access this single program for a variety of housing options and services. Eligible uses include operating funds for housing developments, move-in assistance and rental assistance, intensive case management and wrap-around services to support residents and promote housing stability, coordination with case managers, and assistance with landlord/neighborhood relations.
âWe need a comprehensive approach to homelessness epidemic in California â the first step in this approach must be affordable, stable rental homes for people experiencing homelessness to get back on their feet. But to make this solution a reality requires resources and coordination. That is why we need a united public and private endeavor such as this flexible funding that helps ensure no one in our state is living without a stable, permanent roof over their head,â said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva. âWe must consider every approach in a comprehensive and compassionate manner, so we can improve the quality of life for every Californian, and also provide flexibility to local government to implement solutions that work.â
Housing programs should cross boundaries of health, criminal justice, and child welfare systems to prevent people who are exiting these systems from falling into homelessness. Housing is crucial to health and well-being, education and successful reentry to communities. The State Flexible Housing Program would provide funds to cities, counties, and Continuums of Care to address the varied needs of Californiaâs most vulnerable residents, while bridging the housing, homelessness, health care, criminal justice, and child welfare systems, and the public and private sectors.
âI'm proud to co-author AB 816, which will expand housing opportunities for some of our most vulnerable Californians and guarantee a more coordinated effort to address homelessness, a pervasive issue throughout my district and the state,â according to Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo (D â Los Angeles). âAB 816 complements existing Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County efforts and provides our unsheltered population with stable housing and hope for a better future.â
âCaliforniaâs homeless population increased 13.7% between 2016 and 2017. As the fifth largest economy in the world, that is wholly unacceptable -- we must do better,â said bill coauthor Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D â San Diego). âNo single city or local agency can solve homelessness on their own. It will take state and regional collaboration combined with implementing housing solutions like the Flexible Housing Program. That is why I am proud to co-author AB 816 to help cities, counties, and continuums of care maximize state and local funding sources and facilitate collaboration amongst these agencies.â
âThe solution to homelessness is a home. Getting to a point where every Californian has a safe, stable, affordable place to live will take smart investment and political will. Thatâs why Housing California wholeheartedly supports Assemblymember Quirk-Silvaâs evidence-based Flexible Housing Program, which gives local communities and the state flexible resources â from rental assistance to housing operating funds â to help permanently end homelessness for more than 130,000 Californians living on the streets, in cars, or in shelters at any point in time,â said Housing California Executive Director Lisa Hershey.
âAt the local level, flexible funding demonstrates a regional approach that gives us the ability to provide resources to programs that are showing a positive impact. Itâs important to be responsive to the needs of the community and weigh the input from those who are working on the ground to address the homelessness crisis,â said bill coauthor Assemblymember James Ramos (D-Rancho Cucamonga). âFlexible funding gets us to our goals of solving homelessness through regional approaches by letting local governments pursue whatâs effective.â
As the Governor stated in his proposed budget summary, more housing is required to address homelessness in the state. In promoting housing opportunities, the state would use this legislation to foster collaboration at the local and state levels. The program, administered through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) would help local partners match individuals experiencing homelessness to housing, provide intensive case management, housing navigation and permanent supportive housing.
"We are thrilled to support Assemblymember Quirk-Silvaâs important legislation. This bill not only fulfills Governor Newsomâs goal of streamlining the stateâs response to homelessness, it will create state-local partnerships to offer what Californians experiencing homelessness need and want: a decent, safe, affordable place to call home,â said Sharon Rapport with the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
In creating this Flexible Housing Program with AB 816, local governments must demonstrate regional coordination between cities, counties, continuums of care, and have existing funding. Further, applicants must identify and commit services funds, as well as match just a portion of state funding, to ensure the sustainability of operating subsidies, rental assistance, and services for at least 15 years. Applications will commit to using non-housing system resources and HCD will provide incentives to applicants to establish local âflexible housing subsidy poolsâ that work across jurisdictions to pool available local dollars â health, criminal justice, child welfare, and emergency response â to get Californians housed as quickly as possible through a Housing First approach.