5849.1. (Repealed (in Sec. 67) and added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 790, Sec. 68.)

(b) The Legislature further finds and declares all of the following:

(1) Housing is a key factor for stabilization and recovery to occur and results in improved outcomes for individuals living with a mental illness.

(2) Untreated mental illness can increase the risk of homelessness, especially for single adults.

(3) California has the nation’s largest homeless population, which is disproportionally comprised of women with children and youth, veterans, and the chronically homeless.

(4) California has the largest number of homeless veterans in the United States at 24 percent of the total population in our nation. Fifty percent of California’s homeless veterans live with serious mental illness and 70 percent have a substance use disorder.

(5) Fifty percent of mothers experiencing homelessness have experienced a major depressive episode since becoming homeless, and 36 percent of these mothers live with post-traumatic stress disorder and 41 percent have a substance use disorder.

(6) Ninety-three percent of supportive housing tenants who live with mental illness and substance use disorders voluntarily participated in the services offered.

(7) Adults who receive two years of “whatever-it-takes,” or Full-Service Partnership services, experience a 68-percent reduction in homelessness.

(8) For every dollar of bond funds invested in permanent supportive housing, the state and local governments can leverage a significant amount of additional dollars through tax credits, Medicaid health services funding, and other housing development funds.

(9) Tenants of permanent supportive housing reduced their visits to the emergency department by 56 percent and their hospital admissions by 45 percent.

(10) The cost in public services for a chronically homeless Californian ranges from $60,000 to $100,000 annually. When housed, these costs are cut in half and some reports show reductions in cost of more than 70 percent, including potentially less involvement with the health and criminal justice systems.

(11) Californians have identified homelessness as their top tier priority. This measure seeks to address the needs of the most vulnerable people within this population.

(12) Having counties provide mental health programming and services is a benefit to the state.

(13) The Department of Housing and Community Development is the state entity with sufficient expertise to implement and oversee a grant or loan program for permanent supportive housing of the target population.

(14) The California Health Facilities Financing Authority is authorized by law to issue bonds and to consult with the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and the State Department of Health Care Services concerning the implementation of a grant or loan program for California counties to support the development of programs that increase access to, and capacity for, crisis mental health services. It is therefore appropriate for the authority to issue bonds and contract for services with the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide grants or loans to California counties for permanent supportive housing for the target population.

(15) Use of bond funding will accelerate the availability of funding for the grant or loan program to provide permanent supportive housing for the target population as compared to relying on annual allocations from the Behavioral Health Services Fund and better allow counties to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals living with mental illness.

(16) The findings and declarations set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 5849.35 are hereby incorporated herein.

(c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2025, if amendments to the Mental Health Services Act are approved by the voters at the March 5, 2024, statewide primary election.