Senator Scott Wiener, 11 th Senate District (Author) Assemblywoman Blanca E. Rubio 48 th Assembly District (Principal Co -Author)
Senate Bill 918 – Homeless Youth Act of 2018
PROBLEM One in 10 youth aged 18-25 experiences some form • Coordinate with young people experiencing of homelessness each year, according to 2017 homelessness, appropriate state entities and research. California has the highest rate of youth other stakeholders to inform policy, practices homelessness in the nation – 38 percent of the and programs. nation’s total. In 2017, there were 15,458 unaccompanied homeless youth in California The bill establishes $60 million in grants from the without a safe place to call home. This includes cannabis tax and other funds, administered by the youth ages 12 to 24 living in cars, parks, abandoned Office of Homeless Youth, to do the following: buildings, bus or train stations, on the street, or in • Provide rental assistance; non-time-limited other places not intended for human habitation. supportive housing; transitional housing; rapid
The state’s investment in programs to support re-housing; host homes; and shelters for young people is woefully inadequate. At the last homeless minors and youth. • statewide survey, only 20 of California’s 58 counties Provide drug abuse prevention; mental and had direct services for homeless youth. Yet unique physical health care; transitional living services; services are needed for this population. education and employment assistance; and family support. Solving youth homelessness is a critical part of • Demonstrate cultural sensitivity to various ending California’s larger crisis. One study of groups, including youth who are LGBT, and have chronically homeless adults found fully half of them disproportionately high rates of homelessness. were homelessness as youth. • Prioritize funding for agencies that work with their local continuum of care organizations and Yet California lacks a clear strategy to prevent and otherwise coordinate with local and state end homelessness among young people in the youth-serving organizations. state. Policy and funding are scattered across various state agencies and departments. CO-AUTHORS • Senator Ben Allen SOLUTION • Senator Jim Beall This bill creates the Office of Homeless Youth within • Senator Steve Glazer the Department of Housing and Community • Senator Jerry Hill Development and requires it to set specific goals to • Senator Connie Leyva prevent and end youth homelessness in California, • Senator Anthony Portantino and to monitor progress toward those goals. The • Assembly Member David Chiu bill also requires the Office to: • Assembly Member Ken Cooley • Assess system gaps and report them to the • Assembly Member Tom Lackey Legislature. • Assembly Member Brian Maienschein • • Provide technical assistance to jurisdictions, Assembly Member Chad Mayes • particularly those without existing programs to Assembly Member Eloise Gómez Reyes • Assembly Member Marc Steinorth serve homeless youth. • Assembly Member Mark Stone • Coordinate efforts to prevent homelessness • Assembly Member Tony Thurmond among youth who were involved in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. SB 918 Fact Sheet – Updated 03.07.18 SUPPORT National Center for Youth Law Co-Sponsors: National Safe Place Network • California Coalition for Youth New Alternatives, Inc. • Corporation for Supportive Housing Oxnard College • Equality California Pacific Clinics • Housing California PATH Scholars at California State University • John Burton Advocates for Youth Persistence Plus Public Counsel • Tipping Point Redwood Community Action Agency
Redwood Community Action Agency Youth Services Support : Bureau All saints Church Foster Care Project Riverside City College Antelope Valley College Sacramento City College, EOPS Arcata Family Resource Center Safe Place for Youth Aspiranet Foster Family Agency San Diego LGBT Community Center Barnabas Charity Outreach, Inc. San Diego Youth Services Bay Area Youth Center San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Beyond Emancipation Community Center Bill Wilson Center Social Advocates for Youth Black Sisters Sharing South Bay Community Services Butte/Glenn Community College South County Cal-SOAP California Academy of Child and Adolescent St Anne’s Transitional Housing Program Psychiatry StarVista California Apartment Association Sunny Hills Services California Coalition for Youth Casa de Amparo, Tahoe Youth and Family Services Taking it to the Streets Children’s Hospital Los Angeles The America Academy of Pediatrics Children’s Law Center of California The Children’s Partnership City of Long Beach The City and County of San Francisco City of West Hollywood The Law Foundation of Silicone Valley David & Margaret Youth and Family Services The Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern EA Family Services California Encompass Community Services TLC Child and Family Services Episcopal Community Services United Friends of the Children First Place for Youth Foster Care Counts Unity Care Group University of San Diego Fred Finch Youth Center Uplift Family Services Fresno State Renaissance Scholars Program 2 individuals Hamilton Families
Haven of Hope
Hillsides
Holly Place Home Start, Inc. FOR MORE INFORMATION Imperial Valley LGBT Resource Center Mareva Brown Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program Email: [email protected] Project ACE Phone: (916) 651-4170 Jovenes, Inc. Kamali’i Foster Family Agency Larkin Street Youth Services Los Angeles City College Los Angeles County Office of Education Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Mercy Housing SB 918 Fact Sheet – Updated 03.07.18