Assembly Standing Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care

If any member of the public in the room would like to testify today, I will ask you to approach the microphone after Senator Caballero presents her bill. We also accept written testimony through the position letter portal, with instructions on the committee's website, and you can find the email for the committee there as well. We will be using a moderated telephone service through which any witness can add their position to a bill. Our call-in number for add on support in opposition is 877-692-8957. Again, that's 877-692-8957.

The pin is 1315444. That pin is 1315444. All right. Please call in now if you wish to use the moderated service. The operator on the line will give you instructions on how to be placed in queue, based on whether you support or oppose the bill. If you're calling in, please eliminate all background noise. This includes muting your live stream broadcast and your smart devices to reduce sound issues. If you're having any problems with the moderated phone service, you can call my capital office at 916-319-2035.

Again, that was 916-319-2035. And staff will be there to try to help. All right, thank you for understanding, as we implement methods to continue to serve the people of California and allow greater access to legislative process for all in our state. With that, let's call the roll to establish a quorum. Secretary, please call the roll.

Bains. Here. Ta. Here. Juan Carillo. Here. Haney. Nguyen. Here. Joe Patterson. Reyes. Here. Rubio.

All right, so we do have a quorum with that. Senator Caballero, please present on your bill, SB 657.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair and members. Thank you for the opportunity to present SB 657. I'm prepared to accept the committee amendments, and I want to thank the committee for their work and for all of the help they have given me. SB 657 would require the Interagency Council on Homelessness to coordinate with the California Department of Aging, the California Continuum of Care, and the Area Agency on Aging, to convene a working group relating to older adults and homelessness to develop a training for service workers to better prepare them to assist older adults experiencing homelessness. The high cost of housing and the lack of retirement assets has created a crisis among the senior population in California, leading to this increase.

The older adults become homeless for the first time in their lives, due to higher housing costs, medical bills, emergencies, and other economic factors that put a strain on individuals living on fixed incomes. Social Security benefits increased 5.9 percent last year, which is an average of $93 per month for retired seniors. Although it was the largest increase in four decades, it is not enough to sustain most rent increases.

Approximately 40 percent of older Americans rely solely on their Social Security income to pay bills, which averages about one $657 a month. As California's population ages, and the scarcity of affordable housing continues, the danger of becoming homeless increases. From 2017 to 2021, California's senior population increased by 7 percent, but the number of people 55 years and older who sought homelessness services increased by 84 percent -- more than any other age group. Homeless shelters and prevention services staff are an important component to address California's homeless crisis.

However, the majority of the supportive staff are not trained in the issues and concerns of older adults. Training staff to understand the impacts of aging that can affect communication, mobility issues, isolation, hearing loss, memory and medical issues, is important to know, to help seniors live their best life and boost the quality of care for individuals across all care services. Having knowledge of regional services and resources is needed to better assist this vulnerable population.

In San Diego County, the Area Agency on Aging has created a training, entitled Aging 101, in collaboration with the regional COC, and has begun training homeless service staff to learn about the growing senior population, more of which are living in poverty. The training aims to improve knowledge related to seniors' needs and abilities to perform daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating and mobility. Age appropriate training also provides tools to identify the older adults' level of dependency, to help connect them with services and resources in the community.

Understanding the basics can allow staff effectively to care for seniors. This cooperative partnership meets the mandate of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, created by the Governor, and existing funding is available to local and regional efforts to reduce homelessness through homeless housing assistance and prevention grants to support gerontological training.

SB 657 would require the Interagency Council to coordinate with all of these agencies to partner in their shared regions, to ensure that all service providers are well-trained and well-equipped to assist vulnerable older adults to access resources, services, and a pathway to gain a permanent housing solution. Unfortunately, due to last minute changes, our witness is not able to testify in person today, and I respectfully ask for your aye vote.

All right, is there anyone in the room who wishes to add on in support?

Chair and members, Kathy Mossberg with the California Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Really want to thank the author and her staff for all the hard work on this, and certainly your staff and you, for all the hard work and the amendments, and we look forward to working together on this. Thank you.

Can you hear me now? Okay. Anyone else to add on in support or in opposition? All right, operator, please open the line for additional support, but limit your support to name and affiliation only. As a reminder, our call in number is 877-692-8957 and the pin is 1315444.

Thank you, Madam Chair, and ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to comment in support or opposition of SB 657, you may press one and then zero at this time. And Madam Chair, we have no comments in queue at this time.

Okay, we do not have any recorded opposition, but is there anyone here in opposition to the measure, operator? Or is there anyone online, operator, I mean?

We have no comments in queue.

Okay, are there any questions from the committee on SB 657? Awesome. Senator Caballero, would you like to close?

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I appreciate the opportunity to present the bill and respectfully ask for your aye vote.

Thank you so much. Senator Caballero, I wanted to thank you for bringing this bill forward. I personally see our elders. And as one health incident away from losing their current housing, modernizing how we approach this issue, as it relates to older Californians, is the only way we are going to see the fastest growing population remain in stable housing. I look forward to what comes out of this working group. I have been informed you welcome the amendments taken last week, that are reflective of all interests. However, with additional consideration, the measure has one additional date change suggested as committee amendments. The training materials and reporting to the legislature will be one year from the start date and you have accepted that amendment.

That's fine.

Thank you so much. And again, I just want to thank you for an exceptional bill. I'm really proud to move this forward. We have a motion. We have a second. So go ahead and call. Oh, the motion is do pass as amended and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Baines. Aye. Ta. Aye. Juan Carrillo. Aye. Haney. Nguyen. Aye. Joe Patterson. Aye. Reyes. Aye. Rubio.

That bill is out with six ayes, zero nos, we will keep it open for Assembly Member Haney. We'll keep it open for five minutes. Thank you.

All right. So, seeing no further business before us, this hearing is adjourned.