AB 2893: The Supportive Recovery Residence Program.

Existing law establishes the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to oversee the implementation of Housing First guidelines and regulations, and, among other things, identify resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California. Existing law requires a state agency or department that funds, implements, or administers a state program that provides housing or housing-related services to people experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness to revise or adopt guidelines and regulations to include enumerated Housing First policies. Existing law specifies the core components of Housing First, including services that are informed by a harm-reduction philosophy that recognizes drug and alcohol use and addiction as a part of tenants lives and where tenants are engaged in nonjudgmental communication regarding drug and alcohol use.

This bill would authorize state programs to fund supportive community recovery residences, as defined, that emphasize abstinence under these provisions as long as the state program meets specified criteria, including using at least 90% of its funds in each county for housing or housing-based services using a harm-reduction model. The bill would specify requirements for applicants seeking funds under these programs and would require the state to perform periodic monitoring of select supportive community recovery residence programs to ensure that the supportive community recovery residences meet certain requirements, including that core outcomes of the supportive community recovery housing emphasize long-term housing stability and minimize returns to homelessness. The bill would also prohibit eviction on the basis of relapse, as specified. The bill would require, if a tenant is no longer interested in living in a supportive community recovery residence or is at risk of eviction, that the supportive community recovery residence secure the tenant a permanent housing unit at a partner or other housing program operated with harm-reduction principles.

Existing law requires the State Department of Health Care Services to license and regulate facilities that provide residential nonmedical services to adults who are recovering from problems related to alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug misuse or abuse, and who need alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug recovery treatment or detoxification services. Existing law also requires the department to certify alcohol and other drug treatment recovery services, as specified.

This bill would require the department to oversee certification of supportive community residences that serve individuals experiencing, or who are at risk of experiencing, homelessness and who have substance use disorders with a housing first model, as defined. The bill would require the department to establish criteria for certification of supportive community residences in order to allow a supportive community residence to receive referrals from the department as available housing for persons experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness and who have substance use disorders. The bill would prohibit supportive community residences from providing any licensed services onsite, including, but not limited to, incidental medical services. adopt the most recent standards approved by the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or other equivalent standards as the minimum standard for supportive recovery residences that receive public funds under these provisions. The bill would require the department to establish a separate process for determining if the supportive recovery residence complies with the core components of Housing First. The bill would authorize the department to charge a fee for certification of a supportive community recovery residence in an amount not to exceed the reasonable cost of administering the program, not to exceed $1,000, and would establish the Supportive Community Recovery Residency Program Fund for collection of the fee.