Joint committees assess the implementation of Proposition 41

(the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014)

The Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development and the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs held a joint hearing this afternoon to assess the implementation of Proposition 41, to discuss stakeholders’ experiences with the first round of funding, and to further explore the process for financing and developing veteran-specific, supportive housing from the developers’ and service providers’ perspective.

“The face of the nation’s homeless veteran population is changing.  For example, the number of homeless female veterans and their children has been rising steadily in recent years,” said Assemblymember Chau (D-Monterey Park), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development. “This hearing is important to making sure that the substantial benefit that comes with housing veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness is being met, as we combat this downward spiral that some of our veteran families find themselves in today.”

“It is our responsibility to make sure state programs intended to get homeless veterans off the streets are performing effectively. We owe them nothing less,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, (D-Thousand Oaks), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs. “Our hearing today will provide the feedback and information we need to ensure the funding from Prop 41 is resulting in housing opportunities for homeless veterans.”

California is home to nearly 1.8 million veterans as of September 30, 2013, the largest veteran population in the nation according to the VA’s National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also reported that California has the highest number of homeless veterans with 15,179 in 2013, of which 10,293, or 67.8%, were unsheltered on a given night. To serve the needs of these veterans, California needs significantly more housing for extremely low-income and homeless veterans.

In 2013, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed AB 639 (John A. Pérez) the Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014.  It was enacted by the voters as Proposition 41 at the June 3, 2014 primary election. It restructures $600 million of the $900 million in bonds approved by the voters for the CalVet Home Loan Program in 2008 and uses them instead to fund the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation of affordable multifamily supportive housing, affordable multifamily transitional housing, or related facilities for veterans and their families.

Witnesses included representatives from the California Housing Finance Agency, CalVet Farm and Home Loan Division, California Department of Housing and Community Development, Domus Development, U.S. Vets, and Trimble/Shotts, LLC.