(a) Agencies and departments administering state programs created on or after July 1, 2017, shall collaborate with the coordinating council to adopt guidelines and regulations to incorporate core components of Housing First.
(b) By July 1, 2019, except as otherwise provided in subdivision (c), agencies and departments administering state programs in existence prior to July 1, 2017, shall collaborate with the coordinating council to revise or adopt guidelines and regulations that incorporate the core components of Housing First, if the existing guidelines and regulations do not already incorporate the core components of Housing First.
(c) (1) An agency or department that administers programs that fund recovery housing shall comply with the requirements of subdivision (b) by July 1, 2022.
(2) Until July 1, 2022, an agency or department that administers programs that fund recovery housing shall additionally do all of the following:
(A) In coordination with the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council, consult with the Legislature, the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other stakeholders between July 1, 2020, and January 1, 2022, to identify ways to improve the provision of housing to individuals who receive funding from that agency or department, consistent with the applicable requirements of state law.
(B) Comply with the core components of Housing First, other than those components described in paragraphs (5) to (7), inclusive, of subdivision (b) of Section 8255.
(C) Ensure that recovery housing programs meet the following requirements:
(i) A recovery housing program participant shall sign an agreement upon entry that outlines the roles and responsibilities of both the participant and the program administrator to ensure individuals are aware of actions that could result in removal from the recovery housing program.
(ii) If a recovery housing program participant chooses to stop living in a housing setting with an abstinence focus, is discharged from the program, or is evicted from housing, the program administrator shall offer assistance in accessing other housing and services options, including options operated with harm-reduction principles. To the extent practicable, this assistance shall include connecting the individual with alternative housing providers, supportive services, and the local coordinated entry system, if applicable. This clause does not apply to an individual who leaves the program without notifying the program administrator.
(iii) The recovery housing program administrator shall track and report annually to the program’s state funding source the housing outcome for each program participant who is discharged.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “recovery housing” means sober living facilities and programs that provide housing in an abstinence-focused and peer-supported community for people recovering from substance use issues. Participation is voluntary, unless that participation is pursuant to a court order or is a condition of release for individuals under the jurisdiction of a county probation department or the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 264, Sec. 28. (AB 107) Effective September 29, 2020.)