Bill Text: CA SB751 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Joint powers authorities: San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)

Status: (Passed) 2019-10-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 670, Statutes of 2019. [SB751 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB751-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  March 27, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 751

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Introduced by Senator Rubio

February 22, 2019

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An act to amend Section 50408 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to housing. add Section 6539.6 to the Government Code, relating to joint powers.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 751, as amended, Rubio. Department of Housing and Community Development: annual report. Joint powers authorities: San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.

The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes 2 or more public agencies, by agreement, to form a joint powers authority to exercise any power common to the contracting parties, as specified. Existing law authorizes the agreement to set forth the manner by which the joint powers authority will be governed. That act specifically authorizes the creation of the Orange County Housing Finance Trust, a joint powers authority, for the purposes of funding housing specifically assisting the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within the County of Orange, as specified.

This bill would similarly authorize the creation of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, a joint powers authority, by any or all of the cities within the jurisdiction of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, with the stated purpose of funding housing to assist the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within the San Gabriel Valley. The bill would authorize the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust to fund the planning and construction of housing, receive public and private financing and funds, and authorize and issue bonds. The bill would require that the joint powers agreement establishing the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust incorporate specified annual financial reporting and auditing requirements.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the San Gabriel Valley region.

Existing law establishes the Department of Housing and Community Development in the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. The department is responsible for administering various housing and home loan programs throughout the state. Existing law requires the department, on or before December 31 of each year, to submit an annual report containing specified information to the Governor and both houses of the Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the department.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to that provision.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 The Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) California has an affordable housing crisis, which is especially acute in the San Gabriel Valley due to the high cost of housing in that area, even in formerly affordable communities.

(b) The establishment of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust to receive available public and private funds could help finance affordable housing projects for homeless and low-income populations.

SEC. 2.

 Section 6539.6 is added to the Government Code, to read:

6539.6.

 (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, any or all of the cities within the jurisdiction of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments may enter into a joint powers agreement pursuant to this chapter to create and operate a joint powers agency to fund housing to assist the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, within the San Gabriel Valley region.

(2) The joint powers agency created pursuant to this section shall be known as the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, and shall be created and operate in accordance with this section.

(b) The San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust shall be governed by a board of directors consisting of elected officials representing the representative cities that are party to the joint powers agreement.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust may do any of the following:

(1) Fund the planning and construction of housing of all types and tenures for the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, including, but not limited to, permanent supportive housing.

(2) Receive public and private financing and funds.

(3) Authorize and issue bonds, certificates of participation, or any other debt instrument repayable from funds and financing received pursuant to paragraph (2) and pledged by the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.

(d) The San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust shall incorporate into its joint powers agreement annual financial reporting and auditing requirements that shall maximize transparency and public information as to the receipt and use of funds by the agency. The annual financial report shall show how the funds have furthered the purposes of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.

(e) The San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust shall comply with the regulatory guidelines of each specific state funding source received.

SEC. 3.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique circumstances, described in Section 1 of this act, in the San Gabriel Valley region.

SECTION 1.Section 50408 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:

50408.

(a)On or before December 31 of each year, the department shall submit an annual report to the Governor and both houses of the Legislature on the operations and accomplishments during the previous fiscal year of the housing programs administered by the department, including, but not limited to, the Emergency Housing and Assistance Program and Community Development Block Grant activity.

(b)The report shall include all of the following information:

(1)The number of units assisted by those programs.

(2)The number of individuals and households served and their income levels.

(3)The distribution of units among various areas of the state.

(4)The amount of other public and private funds leveraged by the assistance provided by those programs.

(5)Information detailing the assistance provided to various groups of persons by programs that are targeted to assist those groups.

(6)The information required to be reported pursuant to Section 17031.8.

(7)(A)An evaluation, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, of any program established by the department pursuant to Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 987.001) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code, including information relating to the effectiveness of assisted projects in helping veterans occupying any supportive housing or transitional housing development that was issued funds pursuant to that article.

(B)The evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, the following information:

(i)Performance outcome data including, but not limited to, housing stability, housing exit information, and tenant satisfaction, which may be measured by a survey, and changes in income, benefits, and education.

(I)For purposes of this paragraph, the term “housing stability” includes, but is not limited to, how many tenants exit transitional housing to permanent housing or maintain permanent housing, and the length of time those tenants spent in assisted units.

(II)For purposes of this paragraph, the term “housing exit information” includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(ia)How many tenants left assisted units.

(ib)The length of tenancy in assisted units.

(ic)The reason those tenants left assisted units, when that information is readily obtainable.

(id)The housing status of a tenant exiting an assisted unit upon exit when that information is readily available.

(ii)Client data, which may include, but is not limited to, demographic characteristics of the veteran and their family, educational and employment status of the veteran, and veteran-specific information including, but not limited to, disability ratings, type of discharge, branch, era of service, and veterans affairs health care eligibility.

(8)An evaluation of any program established by the department to meet the legal requirements of the Federal Housing Trust Fund program guidelines.