New Trailer Bill Concerning Homeless Housing Assistance Prevention Program (HHAP)

A new Trailer Bill was recently introduced regarding HHAP. Trailer Bill Language is the implementing language of the California State Budget Bill. To learn more about trailer bills click here.

The Trailer Bill includes the following language:

The program shall provide grant funds to cities, counties, continuums of care, and tribes.

Of the appropriation of $1,000,000,000

• • Thirty percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to continuums of care.
  • Forty-two percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to each city, or city that is also a county, that has a population of 300,000 or more, as of January 1, 2022.
  • Twenty-eight percent of the funds described in this paragraph shall be available to each county.
  • Not more than 2 percent of the funding available pursuant to this section shall be available to tribal applicants.

A program recipient shall not use funding from the program allocated under this section to supplant existing local funds for homelessness services under penalty of disallowance or reduction, or both, of future program funds, as determined by the council.

A program recipient shall use at least 10 percent of the funds allocated under this section for services for homeless youth populations.

If, by July 1, 2026, a recipient has met its outcome goals, as approved by the council in the recipient’s application pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 50220.8, that recipient shall be eligible for bonus funding.

The council shall make an application for round 5 program allocations available no later than November 30, 2023.

Applications shall be due no later than 60 days from the date the council makes those applications available.

Applicants with overlapping geographic jurisdictions must work in close collaboration to develop and submit a joint application for their shared region.

Applicants with overlapping geographic jurisdictions that wish to submit their applications separately will be required to submit an addendum to their application.

To receive a round 5 program allocation, an applicant shall submit an application to the council. A complete application submitted pursuant to this section shall provide the following information, in the form and manner prescribed by the council:

• A local homelessness action plan
• A local landscape analysis

Identification of all funds, including state, federal and local funds, currently being used, and budgeted to be used, to provide housing and homelessness related services to persons experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.

An agreement to participate in a statewide Homeless Data Integration System, and to enter individuals served by this funding into the local Homeless Management Information System, in accordance with local protocols.

The following shall be prioritized for funding, in the absence of other resources and to the extent necessary:

• Operating subsidies to support permanent and supportive housing sites, whether new or existing, to include programs such as Homekey.
• Operating subsidies to support new or existing residential care facilities, funded by the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program and/or the Community Care Expansion Program.
  Sustaining interim and permanent housing funded by previous allocations of HHAP and various programs such as Project Roomkey.
• Supplementing resources to address housing placements and/or direct client services for eligible participants in the program known as CARE COURT.
• Street outreach to assist persons experiencing homelessness, including but not limited to persons experiencing homelessness from encampment sites and those transitioning out of encampment sites funded by the program known as the Encampment Resolution Grant consistent with Health and Safety Code 50251 to access permanent housing and services.
• A program recipient shall not use funding from the program allocated under this section to supplant existing Encampment Resolution Grant funds provided under Health and Safety Code 50251.
• Establishing new and additional permanent housing units by means of master leasing of sites or capital expenditures, or as site conversion, renovation, and gap funding for other capital projects.

To read the entire Trailer Bill click here.