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WHEREAS, Homelessness is one of the most pervasive issues facing California today; and

WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, there were 115,738 homeless people in California in 2015, by far the most of any state in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Rising rents, rapidly declining numbers of low-income housing units, and slow wage growth have all contributed to homelessness; and

WHEREAS, Of the nations top ten most expensive rental markets, four are located in California; and

WHEREAS, The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $3,590, in San Jose is $2,290, in Oakland is $2,270, and in Los Angeles is $1,970; and

WHEREAS, San Franciscos Point-in-Time Homeless Count in 2015 identified 7,539 homeless adults and youths, a 7 percent increase since 2005; and

WHEREAS, A report by the San Francisco Budget and Legislative Analysts Office found that while the initial costs associated with housing homeless residents increased when those individuals entered supportive housing, the citys costs were reduced drastically as those formerly homeless individuals were stabilized; and

WHEREAS, The County of Los Angeles now has an estimated 46,874 homeless people on any given night, up nearly 6 percent from last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority; and

WHEREAS, On any given night in Sacramento, more than 2,500 individuals are without a home, and an estimated 5,200 more will become homeless over the course of the next year; and

WHEREAS, San Diegos homeless population rose to 8,742 in 2015 from 8,506 in 2014, a 2.8% increase that makes the homeless population in San Diego one of the top four in the nation, and 1,100 of that homeless population are veterans; and

WHEREAS, In 2015, the homeless population in Fresno increased for the first time in almost 8 years; and

WHEREAS, Homelessness has risen to historic levels throughout the state, and now is the time for state action; and

WHEREAS, Being homeless is dangerous, especially for youth, in San Francisco, experience a mortality rate more than 10 times higher than that of the states general youth population; and

WHEREAS, In March of 2016, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors requested Governor Brown to issue a statewide declaration of emergency to help coordinate the response and resources for homeless individuals and families; and

WHEREAS, The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an unprecedented plan to address the crisis in the county by allocating $100 million in one-time funding for homeless services; and

WHEREAS, The City of Los Angeles has already declared a state of emergency as it relates to the lack of shelter for homeless in the city; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly requests that Governor Brown declare a state of emergency on homelessness; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly recognizes that the challenge of confronting homelessness requires the active engagement and leadership of all arms of government; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature must prioritize taking action on homelessness prior to the adjournment of the 201516 Regular Session of the Legislature; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor for the appropriate distribution.