AB 535: Veterans’ aid and welfare: housing.

Existing law, the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Act of 2014 (the act), requires the California Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (referred to collectively as the departments) to establish and implement programs that focus on veterans at risk for homelessness or experiencing temporary or chronic homelessness, as specified. In this regard, existing law requires the departments to establish and implement programs that, among other things, prioritize projects that combine housing and supportive services. Existing law requires the departments to ensure at least 50% of funds awarded for capital development provide housing to veteran households with extremely low incomes. Existing law requires a determination of whether a potential tenant is eligible under those provisions to consider all of a households income sources upon initial tenancy, as specified.

Existing law, for purposes of supportive housing units that are restricted to extremely low income veterans pursuant to a regulatory agreement with the committee, authorizes an entity tasked with making referrals of those units targeted to extremely low income households that is unable to place a qualified tenant in a qualified unit, as specified, to match prospective secondary tenants to qualified units. For purposes of the act, existing law defines a secondary tenant as (1) a veteran who is homeless, has an income of up to 50% of the median income, and is receiving income as a result of service-connected disability benefits or (2) a veteran who is homeless and has an income of up to 60% of the area median income, but would otherwise have an income below 50% of the area median income if not for their income as a result of their service-connected disability. For purposes of supportive housing for veterans funded by tax credits and private activity bonds, existing law defines a secondary tenant as a veteran who is homeless, who has an income of up to 60% of the area median income, and who is receiving income as a result of service-connected disability benefits.

This bill would instead, for both purposes described above, define a secondary tenant to mean a veteran who is homeless and has an income of up to 60% of the area median income. The bill would prohibit a determination of whether a potential tenant is eligible for supportive, affordable, or transitional housing under the act from considering a potential tenants service-connected disability benefits.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.