CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 824

Introduced by Assembly Member Lackey
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Acosta, Baker, Brough, Cooley, Mayes, and Steinorth)
(Coauthors: Senators Bates and Wilk)

February 16, 2017

An act to add Chapter 6.1 (commencing with Section 13710) to Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to homeless youth, and making an appropriation therefor.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 824, as introduced, Lackey. Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program.
Existing law establishes the Homeless Youth and Exploitation Program, under which homeless youth emergency service projects are established in the Counties of Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, and the City and County of San Francisco through a grant program to eligible private, nonprofit agencies with a demonstrated record of success in the delivery of services to homeless youth. Under existing law, this program is administered by the Office of Emergency Services. Existing law requires each project to provide specified services, including food and access to overnight shelter, counseling to address immediate emotional crises and problems, and long-term stabilization planning.
This bill would establish the Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program to be administered by the Office of Emergency Services to award grants to qualified nonprofit entities to provide transitional living services, such as long-term residential services, access to resources, and counseling services, to homeless youth ages 18 to 24 years of age, inclusive, for a period of up to 36 months. The bill would require the office, in consultation with specified stakeholders, to establish minimum standards and procedures for awarding the grant moneys. The bill would appropriate $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of awarding grants under the program.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Chapter 6.1 (commencing with Section 13710) is added to Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:
CHAPTER  6.1. The Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program

13710.
 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program.

13711.
 (a) The Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program is established in the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of awarding grants to qualified entities to provide homeless youth a safety net and a strong support system that will help them become self-sufficient. It is the intent of the Legislature that qualified entities awarded grants under this program will provide transitional living services, which includes, but is not limited to, long-term residential services, access to resources, and counseling services, to homeless youth ages 18 to 24 years of age, inclusive, for a period of up to 36 months.
(b) The Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program shall be administered by the Office of Emergency Services.

13712.
 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Homeless youth” means a youth 18 to 24 years of age, inclusive, who is in the need of transitional living services and without a fixed, regular, and adequate place of nighttime residence.
(b) “Office” means the Office of Emergency Services.
(c) “Program” means the Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program.

13713.
 (a) The program shall award grants to qualified nonprofit entities that demonstrate the ability to provide transitional living services designed to help homeless youth make a successful transition to self-sufficient living. A qualified entity awarded a grant under this program shall offer all of the following services:
(1) (A) Residential services, either directly or by referral, that provide a safe and clean living environment and that may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(i) Group homes operated specifically for homeless youth.
(ii) Maternity group homes operated specifically for homeless youth.
(iii) Host family dwellings.
(iv) Supervised apartments.
(B) For purposes of this section, “residential services” includes publicly or privately supervised shelters exclusively operated for homeless youth or living situations with friends, family members, or other temporary living accommodations.
(2) An established plan for referral services to any of the following programs or services to help integrate and coordinate those services for homeless youth:
(A) Social services.
(B) Law enforcement.
(C) Educational services.
(D) Vocational training.
(E) Welfare services.
(F) Legal services.
(G) Health care programs.
(H) Affordable child care or child educational programs, or both, as indicated or as necessary.
(3) Basic life skills resources and counseling services that may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:
(A) Education and educational advancement and resources.
(B) Aid in getting and keeping a job.
(C) Money management.
(D) Decision-making.
(E) Interpersonal skill building.
(F) Mental and physical health care.
(G) Individual or group counseling, or both.
(H) Parent-child counseling or parenting skills, or both, for homeless youth who are parents.
(4) Outreach programs designed to connect with homeless youth to participate in the program.
(b) In selecting applicants for grants under subdivision (a), priority shall be given to applicants who have demonstrated experience working with runaway or homeless youth.

13714.
 (a) The office, in consultation with current and former homeless youth and representatives from advocacy groups serving homeless youth, shall establish minimum standards and procedures for the selection of grantees and the determination of grant amounts, which shall take into consideration, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) A demonstrated need for a transitional housing program for homeless youth.
(2) A demonstrated ability to effectively administer the program.
(3) A demonstrated ability to provide comprehensive, transitional living services to meet the needs of homeless youth.
(b) Each grant recipient shall be required to ensure that participants in the program are engaged in at least one activity that will lead to self-sufficiency.

SEC. 2.

 The sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of Emergency Services for the purpose of awarding grants under the Transitional Housing for Homeless Youth Grant Program established pursuant to Chapter 6.1 (commencing with Section 13710) of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.