Cal. HSC § 50243 — California Code / Code hsc / Division 31 / Part 1 / Chapter 6.5 / Article 2 / Section 50243
Section 50243
Status: in_force

(a) The intent of round 6 is to reflect the state’s priorities to prevent and expeditiously reduce unsheltered homelessness through homelessness prevention activities, sustaining existing interim housing solutions, and permanent housing solutions, including long-term sustainability of affordable permanent supportive housing.

(b) Applicants shall develop data-driven plans that fund the state’s priorities.

(c) Applicants shall demonstrate how the region will use available resources to sustain all existing and, as applicable, any proposed interim housing investments within the region, including, but not limited to, use of local dedicated funding, Behavioral Health Services Act funds, or any funds pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216) or this chapter as long-term capitalized operating reserves, or any other local, state, or federal funding source.

(d) Before proposing to use round 6 resources to fund new interim housing other than new interim housing for youth or proposing to use round 6 resources to fund nonhousing solutions, applicants shall first demonstrate that their region has dedicated sufficient resources from other sources to sustain their existing and planned portfolio of long-term permanent affordable housing and existing interim solutions, including capital and operating costs.

(e) Subject to subdivision (d), allowable uses of round 6 base program allocation funds include all of the following:

(1) Permanent housing solutions that can prevent or serve those experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including, but not limited to, persons experiencing homelessness coming from encampment sites. These uses include 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 or at risk of 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 capitalized operating reserves.

(E) Supportive 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.

(F) Capital for permanent housing that serves people experiencing homelessness, including conversion of underutilized buildings or existing interim or transitional housing into permanent housing.

(G) Services coordination, which may include access to workforce, education, and training programs, or other services needed to promote housing stability in permanent supportive housing.

(2) Homelessness prevention includes, but is not limited to, both of the following:

(A) Rental assistance, rapid rehousing, and other programs as long as they prioritize households with incomes at or below 30 percent of the area median income.

(B) Diversion support programs that prevent people at risk of or recently experiencing homelessness from entering unsheltered or sheltered homelessness.

(3) Interim housing solutions, that can provide shelter to those experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including, but not limited to, persons experiencing homelessness coming from encampment sites. These uses include all of the following:

(A) Navigation centers that are low barrier, as defined in Sections 65660 and 65662 of the Government Code.

(B) Operating expenses for 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 and transitional housing sites for homeless youth, 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.

(I) Improvements to existing emergency shelters to lower barriers and increase privacy.

(J) Any new interim sheltering funded by round 6 funds shall 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 except clinically enhanced congregate shelters as specified in subparagraph (G).

(4) Nonhousing solutions, including nonhousing services for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including, but not limited to, persons experiencing homelessness from encampment sites and those transitioning out of encampment sites. This includes street outreach, 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.

(f) (1) Applicants may request, in a form prescribed by the department, approval to utilize round 6 funding on allowable expenditures outside of the state’s intended priorities, as enumerated in this section.

(2) The department 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.

(g) An applicant shall not use more than 7 percent of a round 6 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.

(h) (1) The department 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 department shall specify the method and manner for this transfer of funds.

(i) A recipient of a round 6 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.

(j) 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 article.

(k) 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 article 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.

(l) A program recipient shall not use funding from the program allocated under this section to supplant Encampment Resolution Funding program grant funds provided under Section 50251.