SB 456: Multifamily Housing Program: nonprofit corporations: homeless or at-risk youth.

Existing law establishes the Multifamily Housing Program administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. Existing law requires assistance for projects under the program to be provided in the form of deferred payment loans to pay for eligible costs of specified types of development, as provided. Existing law requires that specified funds appropriated to provide housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness and who are inherently impacted by or at increased risk for medical diseases or conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable diseases be disbursed in accordance with the Multifamily Housing Program for specified uses.

Existing law exempts these specified funds from the deferred payment loan requirement, as specified. Existing law also requires at least 8 percent of these specified funds to be available for projects serving homeless youth, or youth at risk of homelessness, as defined.

This bill would, instead, require that at least 8 percent of the specified funds be available for units, rather than projects, serving homeless youth, or youth at risk of homelessness. The bill would also require that at least one-half of these funds be prioritized for units to house current foster youth between 18 to 21 years of age, inclusive. The bill would prohibit units that house current or former foster youth between 18 to 21 years of age, inclusive, from requiring a referral through the coordinated entry system for a person under juvenile court jurisdiction, as specified.

This bill would specify that nonprofit corporations that provide emergency shelter or transitional housing and submit to the department a letter of support from a county, city, or other local public entity, as specified, are eligible to receive grants disbursed for housing projects solely serving homeless youth, youth at risk of experiencing homelessness, or current or former foster youth and would require the department to give preference to applications from those nonprofit corporations, and partner organizations, that have experience providing those direct services.