Health and Safety Code § 50246

50246.

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) In enacting subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (n) of Section 50242, it is the intent of the Legislature to continue to partner with the state’s largest jurisdictions to establish and sustain the conditions that accelerate housing production. These jurisdictions account for the majority share of the state’s housing demand, development activity, and homelessness population. Their land use decisions, permitting practices, and regulatory frameworks directly shape housing availability and costs. When affordable housing supply does not keep pace with demand, more households are priced out of stable housing, increasing the risk of, and decreasing exits from, homelessness. Incentivizing these jurisdictions to obtain and maintain a prohousing designation by providing funding to help address homelessness reinforces the connection between local housing policies and regional homelessness outcomes while maximizing the use of limited state resources.

(b) In enacting subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (n) of Section 50242, the Legislature has the following intent:

(1) To coordinate between the state and its largest jurisdictions in the effort to address, reduce, and prevent homelessness.

(2) That the department provide flexible options to support compliance with the matching fund requirement described in this subparagraph including a range of eligible match sources, technical assistance, sufficient time to align resources with program timelines, and a clear process for program recipients to demonstrate compliance.

(3) That the department strive to minimize the time and administrative workload of this process in alignment with the intent to streamline round 7.

(4) That, in making determinations regarding compliance with the matching fund requirement set forth in subparagraph (G) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (n) of Section 50242, the department shall consider all of the following:

(A) The importance of maintaining the matching fund requirement as a meaningful demonstration of local commitment to preventing and ending homelessness.

(B) Whether a recipient has demonstrated, through clear documentation, that extraordinary and unforeseen fiscal distress or other exigent circumstances beyond the recipient’s reasonable control have materially impaired its ability to satisfy the matching fund requirement despite making good faith efforts to do so.

(C) Whether the recipient has made good faith efforts to maximize available public and private funding sources, including identifying in-kind contributions that substantially advance the purposes of this program.

(D) The need to administer the matching fund requirement in a manner that promotes timely implementation and reduces administrative burdens on the department while preserving program accountability.

(E) Any flexibility exercised by the department pursuant to this paragraph shall be limited to that reasonably necessary to address the demonstrated hardship and shall not be construed to authorize a waiver of the matching fund requirement.