This week, the California Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) announced the release of the
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) of approximately $1.7
million in disencumbered federal funds for the Emergency
Solutions Grant (ESG) program, for Homelessness Prevention
activities only. Awarded funds will range from $75,000-$200,000
per applicant.
Homebase, a non-profit
technical assistance provider focused on building community
capacity to end homelessness and reduce poverty, is seeking
applicants to apply for their new action lab series: Bridging
Boundaries. As part of Homebase’s Criminal Legal System
Initiative, the Bridging Boundaries Action Lab is open to
pairs of leaders who work in homelessness response systems and
parole and probation agencies.
This week, the California Department of Aging (CDA) launched the
first-ever statewide needs assessment for Californians aged 55
years and older. The
Community Assessment Survey for Older Adults (CASOA) is
designed to gather critical information to help develop programs,
services, and supports that are inclusive, supportive, and
responsive to evolving needs. CASCOA measure six focus areas:
Last weekend representatives from CSAC and California’s counties
descended on Travis County, Texas for the National Association of
Counites (NACo) Annual Meeting and Expo. Our Golden State
representatives joined participants from other counties across
the nation to shape NACo’s federal policy agenda, share proven
practices and strengthen knowledge networks to help improve
residents’ lives and the efficiency of county government.
The California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) is
currently seeking applicants to serve on the Cal ICH Lived
Experience Advisory Board (LEAB). LEAB members will inform a
broad range of decisions of Cal ICH and other state departments
to ensure systems, programs, and decisions are informed by
individuals with lived experience of homelessness. As California
invests resources into the response to homelessness, guidance
from people with lived experience is critical for shaping
investments and ensuring the response is person-centered and
trauma informed.
The AT HOME Coalition for Accountability today
sent a letter to Governor Newsom and legislative leaders
urgently calling for the inclusion of CSAC’s accountability
framework in the 2023-24 state budget.
Last Thursday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees
convened their suspense file hearings for bills introduced in
their house of origin. During these hearings, certain bills may
be held under submission and do not advance forward for a Floor
vote. Some bills are passed out of committee, some bills are
held, and others are turned into two-year bills. As the deadline
to pass bills in their house of introduction approaches, the CSAC
Health and Human Services policy unit wanted to provide an update
on key bills of interest to counties.
Last Thursday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees
convened their suspense file hearings for bills introduced in
their house of origin. During these hearings, certain bills may
be held under submission and do not advance forward for a Floor
vote. Some bills are passed out of committee, some bills are
held, and others are turned into two-year bills. As the deadline
to pass bills in their house of introduction approaches, the CSAC
Health and Human Services policy unit wanted to provide an update
on key bills of interest to counties.
Advocacy efforts to support AT HOME are in full throttle as the
Legislature evaluates May Revision proposals and begins in
earnest to negotiate key details with the Administration in
advance of the state’s constitutional deadline to pass the budget
on June 15. CSAC’s primary effort is advocating for the inclusion
of
AT HOME Accountability trailer bill language (TBL) in the
2023-24 state budget.
Based on current COVID-19 trends, the federal Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) is planning for the federal
Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under
Section 319 of the Public Health Services Act, to expire at the
end of the day today, May 11, 2023.
There are a number of important developments related to CSAC’s
advocacy efforts in support of the Accountability pillar of AT
HOME. Most significantly, CSAC has drafted the Accountability
pillar as trailer bill language (TBL) and is advocating for its
inclusion in the 2023-24 state budget. Below are further details
on this and other AT HOME Accountability-related efforts. Please
know that we remain fully immersed on all other aspects of AT
HOME as well, including engaging on bills, budget investments,
and federal efforts that align with all six pillars of AT HOME.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will be
closing the Community Care Expansion (CCE) application portal on
June 1, 2023, unless funds are exhausted sooner. The CCE Program
provides funding for acquisition, construction, and
rehabilitation projects to preserve and expand adult and senior
care facilities that serve SSI/SSP and CAPI applicants and
recipients, including those who are experiencing or at risk of
homelessness.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has
released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Youth
Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP). Applications for this
approximately $60 million grant program for up to 25 communities
are due by June 27, 2023.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will be
closing the Community Care Expansion (CCE) application portal on
June 1, 2023, unless funds are exhausted sooner. The CCE Program
provides funding for acquisition, construction, and
rehabilitation projects to preserve and expand adult and senior
care facilities that serve SSI/SSP and CAPI applicants and
recipients, including those who are experiencing or at risk of
homelessness.
Supervisors and county staff throughout the state convened in
Sacramento County for the 2023 CSAC Legislative Conference to
engage, empower and
elevate our collective county voice.
CSAC’s five policy committees – AOJ, AENR, GFA, HHS and HLT
– held important discussions to help steer the Association’s
policy and direction. Below is a recap from each policy
committees’ meeting.
While members of the Legislature returned home to their districts
for Spring Recess this week, legislative staff and advocates are
gearing up for long hearing days in the coming weeks as the
deadline for policy committees to hear and report fiscal bills
approaches at the end of April. As bills continue to take shape
in their house of origin, the CSAC Health and Human Services
(HHS) team is actively engaged on dozens of bills that impact
county administration and delivery of critical health, behavioral
health, and social services.
Following a four day “Tour of the State,” Governor Gavin Newsom
delivered a
letter to the Legislature this week, fulfilling his annual
duty to report to the Legislature on the condition of the state.
The letter, which was delivered in lieu of a formal speech,
highlights the Administration’s accomplishments over the past
four years and the major policy announcements made on his
statewide tour of California.
On Wednesday, the Governor
announced the availability of $907 million in grant funding
for county behavioral health agencies (BHAs) under the initial
round of the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) program to
address the immediate housing and treatment needs of people
experiencing homelessness and serious behavioral health
conditions, including mental illness and substance use disorders.
The homelessness policy debate is heating up with a flurry of
hearings, legislation, and advocacy opportunities occurring in
the last two weeks. Rest assured that your input is helping
create progress, and we have much to look forward to as the year
unfolds.
Next Friday, the Governor’s Office, the California Health & Human
Services Agency, and the California Department of Aging will host
a webinar for the public release of three key milestones related
to the Master Plan for Aging (MPA).
On December 1, the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
(BCSH) released a Notice
of Funding Availability for $240 million as part of the
Encampment Resolution Fund grant program. Authorized through the
2022 Budget Act, this serves as the first round of funding out of
the total $700 million authorized over the next two years to
assist local governments in closing encampments and transitioning
people into housing and shelter.
CSAC recently reported on the final outcomes of measures that
were approved by the Legislature and delivered to Governor Newsom
for action. To keep counties informed of new laws of interest and
impact, CSAC will publish a series of articles to spotlight those
laws in each policy area. This week, the Health and Human
Services policy area provides information on new laws affecting
behavioral health, health services, and human services in
California counties.
The new laws listed below become effective January 1, 2023 unless
otherwise noted.
Governor Newsom rejected all applications for the third round of
state Homelessness Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP)
grants today, calling for more accelerated goals to reduce street
homelessness.
“As a state, we are failing to meet the urgency of this moment,”
Newsom said. Read the Governor’s press release
here.
On September 28, the Biden Administration hosted the White House
Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. The
Conference website contains numerous resources and videos of
the event.
As detailed in a recent
bulletin article, the California Department of Aging (CDA)
and the Implementing the Master Plan for Aging in California
Together (IMPACT) Stakeholder Committee hosted a day-long CA For
ALL Ages and Abilities Day of Action on September 20.
The purpose of the event was to gather key stakeholders to move
forward with planning for an equitable and inclusive future for
older adults and people with disabilities.
In 2020, a new law (SB 234, Chapter 244, Statutes of 2019) went
into effect that aims to increase the availability of family
child care homes. The sponsor of the legislation, the Child Care
Law Center, reached out to CSAC to share new and updated
resources with counties regarding the implementation of this law.
SB 234 made various changes regarding licensing and zoning for
family child care homes, including several that directly impact
county regulations. These include:
John Burton Advocates for Youth and Senator Anna Caballero will
host a virtual policy
briefing on Wednesday, September 28 from 9:00-10:30
am to highlight opportunities to end youth homelessness
in California communities.
On Tuesday, September 20, the California Department of Aging and
the Implementing the Master Plan for Aging in California Together
(IMPACT) Stakeholder Committee hosted the day-long CA For ALL
Ages and Abilities Day of Action conference in Sacramento. The
in-person event gathered policymakers, caregivers, advocates and
other stakeholders passionate about planning for an equitable and
inclusive future for older adults and people with disabilities.
On Wednesday, September 28, the Biden-Harris Administration will
host the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
in Washington, DC. During the Conference, which will also be live
streamed, the Administration will release a national strategy to
end hunger and increase healthy eating and physical activity by
2030.
California’s legislative session came to a close in the early
morning hours this week with hundreds of bills now awaiting
action by Governor Gavin Newsom. The following provides an update
on major bills of interest for the Health and Human
Services policy area. CSAC staff will continue to monitor
and advocate for County priorities during the signing
period, which ends September 30, 2022.
Next Thursday, August 25 from 9:30-11:00 am,
John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) will host a webinar to
share results of a project to increase foster youth utilization
of state and federal tax credits, stimulus checks, and tax
rebates. Participants will learn about the benefits of tax filing
for Transition Age Youth and what it takes to operate a Volunteer
Income Tax Assistance site dedicated to current and former foster
youth.
On Wednesday, April 20, the California Department of Aging (CDA)
hosted a results briefing on the Hubs and Spokes Network for
Aging and Disability. The Hubs and Spokes initiative follows up
on direction in the Master Plan for Aging to revisit California’s
Area Agency on Aging (AAA) local leadership structures to meet
the growing and changing needs and advance equity.
The CSAC Health and Human Services Policy Committee tackled three
major issues during the in-person meeting Thursday, hearing from
speakers on aging, the Governor’s behavioral health priorities,
and homelessness. Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos, Vice Chair
of the Committee, welcomed speakers on each topic.
CSAC has recently taken support positions on a number of bills
within the human services policy area. These bills would support
foster children and youth, increase information sharing between
county agencies, and further the ability of counties to provide
services to older adults.
The California Department of Aging (CDA) has announced that they
will host a results briefing on the Hubs and Spokes Network for
Aging and Disability proposal. The briefing will take place on
Wednesday, April 20 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. and
individuals can
register here. At the briefing, CDA will discuss the findings
from the stakeholder input process and next steps.
