2023 California Code › Health and Safety Code - HSC › DIVISION 31 - HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE › PART 1 - STATE HOUSING POLICY AND GENERAL PROVISIONS › CHAPTER 6.5 - Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program › Section 50235.

50235. (a) The council shall make an application for round 5 base program allocations available no later than September 30, 2023.
(b) Applications shall be due no later than 180 days from the date applications are made available pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(c) (1) Applicants from each region shall submit a single, regional application from their shared region.
(2) Each applicant shall have the discretion to receive their base program allocation directly or may designate a corresponding eligible applicant in their region to serve as the fiscal agent responsible for the administration of funding made available pursuant to this chapter.
(d) Within 30 days of the application deadline pursuant to subdivision (b), the council shall either approve the application or return it to the applicant with written, detailed comments and request one or more of the following specific amendments to the application:
(1) Greater detail on any aspect of the application so the council can ensure fidelity with the applicant’s proposed use of funds and stated performance goals.
(2) Modifications or provision of additional information on the applicant’s proposed funding plan to ensure alignment with evidence-based solutions to reduce homelessness.
(3) Any other modifications or provision of information that would allow the council to better monitor and evaluate the region’s compliance with its regionally coordinated homelessness action plan and whether it is meeting objective performance standards.
(e) (1) An applicant whose application has been returned pursuant to this section shall respond to the council’s requested amendments and submit a revised application within 30 days. Where the revised application differs from the council’s requests, the applicant shall include an explanation of the differences and the rationale for departing from requested amendments.
(2) The council shall have 30 days within which to approve the application if, as amended, it addressed the council’s concerns or to provide the grantee with additional guidance and a deadline for further amending to fully address the council’s concerns.
(f) (1) To receive a round 5 base program allocation, an applicant shall submit an application to the council. A complete application submitted pursuant to this section shall include, in the form and manner prescribed by the council, all of the following:
(A) A regionally coordinated homelessness action plan that complies with Section 50233.
(B) A detailed proposal for how the applicant intends to use the funds for which it is applying that complies with Section 50236.
(C) All other components that the council shall deem necessary to the proper administration of the program.
(2) Upon approval of an application pursuant to this section, the council shall disburse 50 percent of an eligible city’s, county’s, or continuum of care’s total allocation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 50232.
(g) The council and recipients shall post final round 5 program applications to their respective internet websites within 30 days of disbursal to the applicant.
(h) (1) On or before January 31, 2026, a grantee shall submit to the council an updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan which shall include updates on the metrics and corresponding key actions carried out pursuant Section 50233, as applicable.
(2) The council shall, within 30 days, review and provide comments on complete regionally coordinated homelessness action plans or amendments and report its findings to the participating grantee, as applicable.
(3) The council shall approve the updated plan if the plan substantially complies with the requirements of this section.
(4) The council may conditionally approve the plan and notify the participating jurisdictions in the region of specific changes needed to meet the requirements of this section. Participating jurisdictions shall accomplish these changes within 30 days of being notified by the council.
(5) The council shall have 30 days to review changes to conditionally approved plans and make a final determination of approval or rejection of the jurisdiction or regionally coordinated homelessness action plan update.
(6) (A) The council may reject the plan based on either one of the following:
(i) The region failed to submit a timely plan within 30 days from the date in paragraph (1).
(ii) The region failed to make needed changes to the plan within 30 days, if the council conditionally approved the plan.
(7) (A) The council may withhold the remaining 50 percent of funds from a jurisdiction that repeatedly failed to take action as specified in its regionally coordinated homelessness action plan, or that took actions adverse to achieving the plan objectives provided pursuant to Section 50233, until such time the jurisdiction demonstrates to the council they are in substantial compliance with the requirements of this paragraph.
(B) The council shall provide technical assistance and support of jurisdictions efforts to comply with the requirements of this paragraph.
(8) Regions are encouraged to update their memorandums of understanding to reflect their updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan that have been approved pursuant to this subdivision.
(9) In making this determination the council may provide exceptions to the requirement if the recipient demonstrates hardship by a disaster for which a state of emergency is proclaimed by the Governor pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(10) Any proposed revision to a deemed compliant regionally coordinated action plan must be submitted to the council for review and approval. The council will have 30 days to review proposed amendments and make findings, including recommendations, until the proposed amendments are deemed compliant by the council.
(11) All proposed, approved, and amended regionally coordinated homelessness action plans should be posted on the internet website of all participating jurisdictions and continuums of care participating in the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan.
(12) The council may consult with any local government, public agency, group, or person, and shall receive and consider any written comments from any public agency, group, or person, regarding the action by a participating jurisdiction in determining whether the regionally coordinated homelessness action plan substantially complies with this chapter.
(i) (1) A recipient shall contractually obligate not less than 75 percent, and shall expend not less than 50 percent, of the initial round 5 program allocations made to it pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (f) no later than June 30, 2026.
(2) Upon compliance with subdivision (h) and demonstration by a recipient grantee that it has complied with the requirement to contractually obligate and expend a minimum amount of its round 5 program allocation pursuant to paragraph (1), the council shall disburse to that recipient the remaining 50 percent of its total base allocation pursuant to Section 50234.
(3) (A) If the requirements of paragraph (2) are not satisfied, the council shall not allocate to the recipient the remaining 50 percent of its total allocation, unless both of the following occur:
(i) On or before June 30, 2026, the recipient submits an alternative disbursement plan that includes an explanation for the delay.
(ii) The council approves the alternative disbursement plan submitted pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(B) If a grantee does not satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (A), the council shall have the discretion to allocate the unused funding in a manner prescribed by the council.
(4) On or before December 31, 2027, a recipient shall return to the council any funds that have not been expended pursuant to an alternative disbursement plan approved pursuant to this paragraph, to be allocated as supplemental awards by the council in accordance with Section 50237.
(j) The council may request additional information from applicants, as needed, to meet other applicable reporting or audit requirements.
(k) In addition to requirements in Section 50222, the council may monitor the expenditures and programmatic activities of an applicant, as the council considers necessary, to ensure compliance with round 5 program requirements.
(l) The council may, as it considers appropriate or necessary, request the repayment of round 5 program funds from an applicant, or pursue any other remedies available to it by law for failure to comply with program requirements.
(m) Any remaining amounts of round 5 base program allocation funds not expended by June 30, 2028, shall revert to, and be paid and deposited in, the General Fund.
(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 40, Sec. 17. (AB 129) Effective July 10, 2023.)