AB 344: New Beginnings California Program.

Under existing law, several state agencies have prescribed responsibilities relating to homeless persons. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to administer the California Emergency Solutions Grants Program and make grants under the program to qualifying recipients to implement activities that address the needs of homeless individuals and families and assist them to regain stability in permanent housing as quickly as possible.

This bill would establish the New Beginnings California Program in the Department of Community Services and Development and create the New Beginnings California Account for the purpose of providing matching grant funding to cities and local continuum of care programs to implement, expand, or continue employment programs for homeless individuals, as specified. The bill would define city for purposes of the bill to include a city, county, or a city and county. The bill would require qualifying employment programs to, among other things, connect program participants with employment and pay them an hourly wage that is at or above minimum wage. The bill would direct the department to apportion funds in the account, upon appropriation, to cities and local continuum of care programs with eligible employment programs, not to exceed $50,000 annually per city or continuum of care program. The bill would authorize a maximum of 50 grants to be awarded annually and would require cities and local continuum of care programs to match any funds received from the program, as specified. The bill would be operative only to the extent that funding is provided in the annual Budget Act for the purposes of the bill.