Encampment Resolution Funding Program
Round 5
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
Gavin Newsom, Governor
State of California
Tomiquia Moss, Secretary
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
Gustavo Velasquez, Director
California Department of Housing and Community
Development
651 Bannon Street, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95811
Telephone: (916) 263-6928
Website: https://www.hcd.ca.gov
ERF Website: Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program | California Department of Housing and Community Development
ERF Round 5 Program Email: [email protected]
March 27, 2026
2 Table of Contents
I. OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................. 3 A. Authorizing Statute .............................................................................................. 3 B. Purpose and Program Objectives ......................................................................... 4 C. Application Timeline .............................................................................................. 4 D. Available Funds .................................................................................................... 5 II. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................... 5 A. Eligible Applicants ................................................................................................. 5 B. Eligible Population to Serve .................................................................................. 6 C. Prioritizing Encampment Sites to Address ............................................................ 6 D. Compliance with State Encampment Guidance: ................................................... 7 III. ELIGIBLE USES ...................................................................................................... 8 IV. APPLICATION SUBMISSION, REVIEW, AND AWARD PROCESS ....................... 11 A. Application Required Components ..................................................................... 11 B. Submitting a Complete ERF Round 5 Application .............................................. 15 C. HCD Review, Scoring, and Award ...................................................................... 16 V. Award and Funds Disbursement ............................................................................ 21 VI. MONITORING, DOCUMENTATION, AND REPORTING ....................................... 21 A. Reporting ............................................................................................................ 21 B. Application Amendments .................................................................................... 22 C. Fiscal Deadlines ................................................................................................. 22 D. Other Requirements ........................................................................................... 23 VII. RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFORMATION .................................................... 26 VIII. APPENDICES ........................................................................................................ 27 Appendix A: ERF Statute ............................................................................................... 27 Appendix B: ERF Round 5 Authorizing Legislation ....................................................... 37 Appendix C: Definitions ................................................................................................. 38 Appendix D: California Interagency Council on Homelessness Guidance on Addressing Encampments ............................................................................................................... 39 Appendix E: Housing First Statute ................................................................................ 40 Appendix F: Inspection of Homeless Shelters Statute................................................... 43 3 I. OVERVIEW
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD or Department) is pleased to announce the availability of Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program Round 5 (ERF Round 5) grant funding. Pursuant to Health and Safety Code (HSC) section 50251, ERF was established to increase collaboration between the Department, local jurisdictions, and continuums of care (CoCs) for the following purposes:
• Assist local jurisdictions in ensuring the safety and wellness of people experiencing homelessness in encampments.
• Provide encampment resolution grants to local jurisdictions and continuums of care to resolve critical encampment concerns and transition individuals into safe and stable housing.
• Encourage a data-informed, coordinated approach to address encampment concerns.
This NOFA makes $93 million available to California cities, counties, and CoCs in FY 25-26 for awards through a rolling application process. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2026, or until funds are depleted, whichever occurs first. Pursuant to the requirement set forth in the authorizing statute, up to 50 percent of funds will be prioritized for proposals that serve people living in encampments on State right-of-way (SROW).
A. Authorizing Statute
ERF Round 5 is authorized under Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 50250) of Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code. The $100 million for ERF Round 5 was appropriated by Statutes of 2025, chapter 5, section 86 (the “2025 Budget Act”), which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on June 27, 2025.
Appendix A contains key statutes that support ERF implementation and guidance, and Appendix B contains the 2025 Budget Act. $93 million is being made available in this NOFA, with $7 million allocated to state administration and to fund a partial award from a prior round. More detail is included in Section I.D, Available Funds.
Pursuant to the authorizing statute, up to 50 percent of the funds authorized for ERF Round 5 shall be prioritized for Local Jurisdictions with proposals that address encampments on SROW as defined by HSC section 50250(m).
HSC section 50251(e) provides that the Department “may adopt regulations to implement this chapter. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation authorized by this subdivision is hereby exempted from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).” This NOFA establishes the Department’s guidelines for ERF Round 5, including the terms, conditions, 4 forms, procedures, and other mechanisms that the Department deems necessary to administer ERF Round 5. The guidelines contained in this NOFA are adopted as if they have the “dignity of statutes.” (Ramirez v. Yosemite Water Company, Inc. (1999) 20. Cal. 4th 785, 799.)
B. Purpose and Program Objectives
ERF Round 5 will fund actionable, person-centered, local proposals that meet this NOFA’s threshold requirements to provide stable housing and address the immediate health and safety needs of the individuals residing in specific encampments. Proposals must seek to resolve targeted experiences of unsheltered homelessness by addressing the safety and wellness of people within encampments, resolve critical encampment concerns, and transition individuals into interim shelter with clear pathways to permanent housing or directly into permanent housing, using data-informed, non-punitive, low-barrier, person- centered, Housing First, and coordinated approaches.
Proposals may bolster existing, successful models and/or support new approaches that provide safe, stable, and ultimately permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness in encampments.
C. Application Timeline
The ERF Round 5 application will be made available by the Department upon release of this NOFA and will remain open for the first application window until June 30, 2026. If all program funds have not been awarded through the first application window, a second application window will remain open until October 31, 2026.
Applications will be reviewed in batches as displayed in the table below.
ERF Round 5 Application Events Responsible
Party
Estimated Date(s)
NOFA Release Date HCD 3/27/2026
Application Release Date HCD 3/27/2026
NOFA Walkthroughs (Webinars) HCD 4/13/26, 4/23/26, 4/29/26 Application Submission through
Window #1
Applicant 4/3/26 - 6/30/26
Review of Window #1 Applications HCD 7/1/26 - 8/31/26
Window #1 Awards HCD September 2026
Application Submission through
Window #2 (dependent on
availability of funds)
Applicant 9/1/26 - 10/31/26
Review of Window #2 Applications
(dependent on availability of funds)
HCD 11/1/26 - 1/8/27
5 Window #2 Awards HCD January 2027
HCD staff will host virtual webinars on Zoom to walk through this NOFA and the application requirements on the following dates:
• April 13, 2026, 1:00pm – 4:00pm
https://hcd-ca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3BoVs9ltQoSC02Cc2CeOtQ
• April 23, 2026, 9:00am – 12:00pm
https://hcd-ca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ngUAyJcFSACTCPeCbgZpTQ
• April 29, 2026, 9:00am – 12:00pm
https://hcd-ca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P7SB4CSKRB-8DzImooD4Fg
Questions may be submitted to [email protected], with the subject line “ERF Round 5,” for the duration of the application period. HCD will also respond to common inquiries in formats directed to the entire eligible applicant pool (i.e., NOFA Walkthroughs, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents, Monthly Office Hours, etc.).
D. Available Funds
The Legislature appropriated $100 million to fund ERF Round 5, less $4.9 million allocated to the Department for program administration and $2.1 as a partial award to a prior round grantee, pursuant to the requirement set forth in HSC section 50252.1(b). This NOFA makes $93 million available for award to cities, counties, and CoCs.
Summary of ERF Round 5 Funding
Category Amount
Total FY 25-26 Funding $100 million
Partial Award to Prior Funding Round ERF 4 Lookback $2.1 million Program Administration $4.9 million
ERF Round 5 – Made Available in the NOFA $93 million
II. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible Applicants for ERF Round 5 program funds are the same as in previous Rounds of ERF, which include:
• Local Jurisdiction – as defined in HSC section 50250(j), means a city, including a charter city, a county, including a charter county, or a city and county. 6 • Continuum of Care (CoC) – as defined in HSC section 50250(d), “continuum of care” has the same meaning as in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
Per authorizing statute (see Appendix B), local jurisdictions have priority to apply for ERF Round 5 to address encampments on the SROW over CoC applicants.
B. Eligible Population to Serve
ERF Round 5 funds may only be used for proposals that connect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness either to interim shelter with clear pathways to permanent housing or directly to permanent housing.
C. Prioritizing Encampment Sites to Address
“Encampment” generally refers to any location where multiple individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness have established a place of residence, and where the ongoing presence and conditions of the site result in sustained or significant impacts to health, safety, public access, or infrastructure. Encampments may exist on public or private land and are typically characterized by the presence of personal belongings, makeshift or semi-permanent structures, and repeated or prolonged habitation.
The defining criteria of an encampment are not based on the number of occupants, but on the degree of impact on:
• The individuals residing in the encampment, including exposure to environmental hazards, violence, or lack of access to services and housing; • The surrounding community, including limitations to public access, increased health and safety risks, or strain on public systems; and • Critical infrastructure and natural resources, including blocked rights of way, degraded environmental conditions, or damage to public property.
ERF Round 5 is not intended to fund a community-wide encampment resolution program. Applications may propose to serve a single individual encampment, or an encampment zone of multiple encampments that meets all three conditions listed below. Applicants must provide justification for the prioritization of the specific encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites proposed to be served. If an applicant proposes to prioritize multiple encampments (encampment zone), the encampments may only be addressed through a single application if all of the following apply:
1. There is a single justification for prioritizing the encampments, 7 2. The demographics and service needs of the residents of the encampments are sufficiently similar, and
3. The same set of services, and service providers, including outreach, interim and permanent housing programs, will be used to serve and house the individuals in the encampments.
Applicants must prepare a separate application for each encampment that does not meet the requirements of (1) – (3).
D. Compliance with State Encampment Guidance
City and county applicants must identify whether they have a current and formal policy and/or ordinance to address encampments that fully complies with the California Interagency Council (Cal ICH) Guidance on Addressing Encampments (see Appendix D for a list of all components in the state guidance). To meet this requirement, applicants may submit internal standard operating procedures, staff training materials, and/or scope of work language from service or housing provider contracts that substantiate the jurisdiction meets all components required in the state guidance.
Applicants that are CoCs must identify whether the encampment policies or ordinances of the city and/or county in which the specific encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites are located is fully compliant with the state guidance. Inclusion of the policy(ies) or ordinance(s) depends on the local authorities that oversee encampment operations.
1. City and county applicants must provide the policy, ordinance, or any other documentation that substantiates the jurisdiction follows all components set forth in the state guidance.
a. If there is no policy or ordinance to address encampments, or if the encampment policy is not fully compliant with state guidance, the city and county applicant(s) must provide a timeline by which it will adopt or update the policy or ordinance to come into compliance with state guidance within three months of award. If the jurisdiction does not adopt a fully compliant policy within three months of award, the award may be rescinded and funds awarded to the next eligible applicant.
2. CoC applicants must provide the policy, ordinance, or any other documentation that substantiates the city and/or county in which the encampment is located follows all components set forth in the state guidance.
a. If there is no policy or ordinance to address encampments in the city and/or county in which the encampment is located, or if the encampment policy is not fully compliant with state guidance, CoC applicants must ensure the letter(s) of support from the jurisdiction(s) in which the encampment is located includes a commitment to adopting a fully 8 compliant policy within three months of award. If the jurisdiction does not adopt a fully compliant policy within three months of award, the award may be rescinded and funds awarded to the next eligible applicant.
On May 12, 2025, the Governor released a Model Encampment Ordinance.
Adopting a local ordinance that is consistent with all core aspects of the Model Encampment Ordinance would be compliant with Cal ICH’s guidance and satisfy the ERF Round 5 NOFA requirements. The Model Ordinance outlines that it is “intended to provide a starting point that jurisdictions may build from and adjust in creating their own policies…[but] is not intended to be comprehensive or to impose a one-size-fits-all approach for every [jurisdiction]." As such, the Model Ordinance is a valuable tool for Eligible Applicants to use in developing their own encampment policy, but an encampment policy may still be compliant with Cal ICH’s guidance if it diverges in some ways from this Model Ordinance.
III. ELIGIBLE USES
All applications and proposed eligible uses must advance the ERF Round 5 Purpose and Program Objectives set forth in Section I.B of this NOFA. Proposal design may include any combination of the following Eligible Use Categories outlined in the table on the following page:
9 Eligible Use
Category Eligible Uses Eligible Use Examples
Permanent
Housing
Delivery of
Permanent Housing
Delivery of permanent housing and innovative
housing solutions, such as unit conversions to
permanent housing for eligible persons,
rehabilitation of existing buildings or existing interim or transitional housing into permanent housing, and
predevelopment costs.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid rehousing, including housing identification
services, rental subsidies, security deposits,
incentives to landlords, and holding fees for eligible
persons, housing search assistance, case
management, and facilitating access to other
community-based services.
Operating
Subsidies/Supportive
Services - Perm
Operating subsidies in new and existing affordable
or supportive housing units. Operating subsidies
may include operating reserves.
Prevention and
Diversion
Prevention and
Shelter Diversion
Prevention and shelter diversion to permanent
housing, including flexible forms of financial
assistance, problem solving assistance, and other
services to prevent people that have been placed
into permanent housing from losing their housing
and falling back into unsheltered homelessness.
This category is only available to serve people who
were formerly residing in the prioritized ERF
encampment site.
Interim Housing Interim Housing
Interim housing, limited to newly developed
clinically enhanced congregate shelters, new or
existing noncongregate shelters, and operations of
existing navigation centers and shelters based on
demonstrated need that are well suited for eligible
persons. Per HSC section 17974.4(b), funding may
not be used for the purpose of operating a shelter if
that shelter has outstanding violations, but may be
used to resolve those violations.
Interim Housing may also include Motel/Hotel
Vouchers.
10 Operating
Subsidies/Supportive
Services - Interim
Operating subsidies in new and existing emergency
shelters and navigation centers. Operating
subsidies may include operating reserves.
Improvements to
Existing Emergency
Shelters
Improvements to existing emergency shelters to
lower barriers, increase privacy, better address the
needs of eligible persons, and improve outcomes
and exits to permanent housing.
Non-Housing
Street Outreach
Street outreach to assist eligible persons to access
crisis services, interim housing options, and
permanent housing and services.
Services
Coordination
Services coordination, which may include access to
workforce, education, and training programs, or other
services needed to improve and promote housing
stability for eligible persons, as well as direct case
management services being provided to persons,
including services being provided at safe parking
sites.
Administrative
Costs
Systems Support
Systems support for activities that improve,
strengthen, augment, complement, and/or are
necessary to create regional partnerships and a
homeless services and housing delivery system that
resolves persons’ experiences of unsheltered
homelessness.
Administrative Costs
Administrative costs incurred by the city, county, or
continuum of care to administer its program
allocation. Up to 5% of grant funds may be applied
to administrative costs.
Note: Site restoration is a prior eligible use that was allowed under ERF Round 1 and funded activities related to restoring the encampment site to its original, intended use.
ERF Round 5 does not fund site restoration as an allowable use.
11 IV. APPLICATION SUBMISSION, REVIEW, AND AWARD PROCESS A. Application Required Components
The ERF Round 5 application is a questionnaire style survey and has four required components: administrative information, proposal overview, implementation, and certification. A submitted application that deviates from the following requirements will be considered nonresponsive and will be disqualified from the evaluation.
Applications submitted by non-eligible applicants (reference Section 2.A. for Eligible Applicants) will also be automatically disqualified.
1. Required Component: Administrative Information
Requires the applicant to indicate the entity the Department will enter into contract with to receive and administer the award. This entity will be responsible for contracting (when necessary) with subcontractors, submitting all required reports to the Department, reporting universal data elements for people and families served into the local HMIS, and meeting other terms and conditions of the contract. This component also requires the applicant to provide contact information and its Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or tax identification number. Governmental entities will need to submit a GovTIN Tax Form, and non-governmental entities (only lead entities of CoCs are eligible to apply) will need to upload a STD 204 Tax Form.
2. Required Component: Proposal Overview
Requires the applicant to provide the following narrative descriptions and metrics on the expected outcomes of the proposal:
a. Proposal Summary: Includes an overview of all key components and/or phases of the project that will be funded wholly or in part with ERF Round 5 resources. This should be an executive summary of the proposal, to include (1) the encampment and population proposed to be served (2) the core service/housing delivery model and (3) the impact/outcomes proposed to be accomplished.
b. People Served and Housed: Includes the number of people living in the prioritized encampment at the time of application submission, and the number of people proposed to be served and housed in interim and permanent housing if the application is awarded.
c. Encampment Information: Includes the physical characteristics of the encampment, why the site and the people residing there are being prioritized, and whether the encampment is located entirely or partially on a SROW. This information must be accompanied by the following:
12 i. Attachment, Geographic Information System (GIS) Map Layer: Applicants must submit a GIS map layer or equivalent of the specific encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites proposed to be served with ERF Round 5 funds. The attachment should allow sites to be easily imported into a GIS data set. For applicants with access to internal GIS resources, a shapefile is the preferred format for capturing area-level data with precision and consistency. Another option is to use a publicly available free app service like “Google My Maps” or similar program to create a polygon using one of those platforms.
Note: Applicants may upload an additional jpeg or pdf map that shows the location of the specific encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites within the jurisdiction in relation to key application components (i.e. service locations, interim housing locations, and permanent housing locations).
d. State and Local Collaboration: Pursuant to HSC section 50252.1(c)(4)(C), the application should include a description of how the applicant intends to collaborate with state and local partners to mitigate risk and address safety concerns while ensuring a pathway for individuals living in encampments to move into safe and stable housing. This description must also confirm that the jurisdiction submitted an AB 130 Annual Homeless Shelter Inspection Report to HCD. HSC section 17974.5 requires that HCD withhold state funding from a jurisdiction that fails to comply with the AB 130 Annual Homeless Shelter Inspection Report requirements or fails to take action to correct any homeless shelter violation pursuant to HSC 17974.4. See Section IV.D.3., Annual Reporting on Homeless Shelter Inspections, and Appendix F for details on this requirement, including remedies for jurisdictions to become eligible again to receive state funds. i. Required Local Jurisdiction Letter(s) of Support (required for CoC applicants only): CoC applicants must obtain a letter, or letters, of support from city and/or county overlapping jurisdictions in which the specific encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites are located. Local encampment abatement operations, public health and safety, and service and housing responsibilities and authorities may be shared by multiple jurisdictions. The letter(s) of support must detail the roles and responsibilities of each participating jurisdiction, and include a commitment from the jurisdictions to coordinate on any potential abatement activities. HCD will also accept a single letter of support signed by all jurisdictions.
ii. Required Caltrans Letter of Support (required for applications proposing to address encampments on SROW only): Applications proposing to address encampments entirely or partially on a SROW must include a letter of support from their local Caltrans District Office. The letter must include a commitment from Caltrans that they are in support of 13 the ERF proposal. It must also include an acknowledgement that Caltrans will only take action on that encampment site in collaboration with the grantee, with at least two weeks’ notice to HCD and the ERF grantee, unless critical circumstances exist when an encampment poses an imminent threat to life, health, safety, or infrastructure and must be immediately addressed. This letter should be signed by the local Caltrans Deputy District Director of Maintenance (DDDM) or their designee and include the contact information of the Caltrans representative for the prioritized encampment location.
e. Proposal Outcomes and Project Timeline: Includes a description of the proposal’s planned outcomes, key milestones with associated dates for each outcome, the methods by which the applicant will measure and track progress, and proposed activities to achieve the outcome. Applicants must provide incremental milestones for achieving the interim housing and permanent housing goals set out in the proposal. For projects that include interim housing and/or permanent housing development, the timeline should include major development milestones.
f. Centering People: Requires the applicant to provide detailed responses to the following prompts:
i. How the proposal complies with Housing First law pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Section 8255. Housing First statute is contained in Appendix E and applicants may also refer to the Cal ICH Guide to California’s Housing First Law;
ii. How input from individuals with lived experience of homelessness has been meaningfully incorporated into the proposal;
iii. How the proposal will provide sanitation services to those living in the prioritized encampment. This may be through ERF Round 5 funds or by a jurisdiction or nonprofit entity; and
iv. A list of community organizations or groups currently supporting or engaging with encampment residents, and the services being provided by those organizations.
3. Required Component: Implementation
This component requires the applicant to provide details around proposal implementation in three key areas:
a. Core Service Delivery and Housing Strategies, including:
i. Outreach, engagement, case management, and service coordination tailored to address the needs of individuals residing in the encampment; 14 ii. When an application includes operating safe parking sites while locating interim or permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness living in vehicles or recreational vehicles, a description of how the applicant intends to acquire sites for safe parking, operate the site, provide services at the safe parking site, and increase safe parking site hours;
iii. Proposed interim housing opportunities;
iv. Proposed permanent housing opportunities;
v. Commitment and capacity to deliver permanent housing solutions; vi. How services are tailored to meet the needs and preferences of individuals in the encampment, encampment zone(s), or scattered sites; vii. Strategies to prevent displacement into other unsheltered locations; viii. Approaches to prevent returns to unsheltered homelessness; ix. Consideration for the dynamic nature of encampments, including potential inflow;
x. Support for storage and access to personal belongings across housing stages;
xi. Support for participants with service animals and pets; xii. Strategies for serving individuals who do not transition into housing; and xiii. If located on a SROW, how the applicant will coordinate with Caltrans ahead of abatement actions to avoid displacement and address the needs of the individuals living in the encampment.
b. Budget and Resource Plan: The total amount of ERF Round 5 funds requested, and an explanation for how the requested amount was determined based on the number of people served and the housing options provided. The Budget and Resource Plan must also identify non-ERF Round 5 resources that will be leveraged to support proposal implementation, including other funding sources and resources from other systems that would increase services and housing options. This includes prior ERF awards, and other federal, state, and local funding sources.
Applicants must categorize their budgets into the appropriate Eligible Uses. If one larger budget item may fall within two or more Eligible Use categories, applicants should split it into the appropriate individual line items so that HCD can track and better understand proposal components.
15 HCD strongly encourages applicants to design proposals that maximize the impact of ERF Round 5 by leveraging additional other local, state, and federal funding streams, including social entitlement programs and complementary housing or service initiatives. By aligning ERF Round 5 proposals with these resources, jurisdictions can expand the scope of services, accelerate implementation, and achieve more sustainable housing outcomes for the individuals experiencing homelessness in the specific encampment zone(s), or scattered sites proposed to be addressed. c. Key Entities and Staff: Includes the experience and qualifications for the implementing organization and key partners, staffing strategy, evidence of collaboration between local jurisdiction(s) and the CoC, as well as identification of the primary parties with rights to and/or control of the property upon which the encampment resides (e.g., Caltrans, Union Pacific, private landowner, etc.) and their shared understanding of and commitment to the implementation of the proposal. For proposals on the SROW, in addition to the Caltrans letter of support, applicants must describe how they collaborated with Caltrans on their program design, implementation plans, and projected timeline.
Proposals funding homeless shelters must ensure shelters are in compliance with the requirements outlined in HSC sections 17974-17974.6. Applicants must disclose whether any homeless shelter included in the proposal has received violations under HSC sections 17974-17974.6 within the past 12 months and describe the status of corrective actions taken and any outstanding violations.
4. Required Component: Certification
The applicant must certify that all information included in the application is true and accurate.
B. Submitting a Complete ERF Round 5 Application
Applications must be submitted through the ERF Round 5 application portal in Cognito, linked on the ERF website. Within the Cognito application, applicants must upload a completed budget using the budget template available on HCD’s ERF website.
Refer to Section III, Eligible Uses, for guidance on allowable expenses and budget categorization. HCD will accept applications on a rolling basis through two windows or until all funds have been awarded, whichever occurs first. Refer to Section I.C., Application Timeline, for all specific dates.
Since HCD does not have control over the platform’s timing apparatus and uploading speed, and to mitigate for unforeseen occurrences, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit by noon on the last day of the application window. 16 C. HCD Review, Scoring, and Award
1. Phase 1 – Administrative Review
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated for completeness of NOFA specifications, including checking that the application was submitted on behalf of an eligible applicant. During this stage, HCD will ensure that all required components are completed and submitted. HCD will reach out to applicants and allow them to resolve small discrepancies, but applications that are not complete or do not contain all the required items and attachments will be disqualified from the evaluation.
Additionally, applications will be reviewed to ensure deduplication with any previous ERF award. Generally, ERF Round 5 funding is not meant to augment a prior award which provided funding to accomplish the same outcomes described in the proposal. To receive a new ERF award, a previously awarded applicant must provide a new proposal that describes the additional activities to be carried out and the outcomes to be accomplished and/or identifies the additional people to be served.
2. Phase 2 – Scoring
The Evaluation Panel will review and consider the totality of the information in the application when determining whether the application satisfies the minimum scoring threshold. However, applicants should respond to each application criterion in the proper application section to ensure all requirements are met.
ERF Round 5 Scoring Matrix
Application Section Factors that satisfy minimum scoring threshold:
2A-C. People Served
and Encampment
Information
(Must receive at least 3
out of the 5 possible
points)
o Clearly describes the characteristics and
demographics of the people living in the
prioritized encampment and the physical aspects
of the encampment, including location, size of
area, types of structures onsite, and vehicles
present.
o Makes a logical and compelling case for why the
identified encampment site is being prioritized.
2D. State and Local
Collaboration
o Includes a clear description of the responsibilities
and authorities for encampment abatement
operations, public health and safety issues, and
service and housing providers. This description
should include the encampment policy or policies
17 (Must receive at least 4 out
of the possible 5 points)
that will guide the applicant’s encampment
response.
2E. Proposal’s Outcomes
(Must receive at least 10
out of the 15 possible
points)
o Proposal’s outcomes meaningfully align with ERF
Round 5 objectives (set forth in Section I.C. of this
NOFA).
Outcome(s) are clear, specific, measurable,
realistic, and time bound.
Milestones are well-defined and include
appropriate methods for measuring progress.
Listed activities are directly connected to the
proposed outcome(s) and milestones and are
feasible within the project period.
o The narrative presents a logical pathway showing
how the activities and milestones will lead to the
stated outcome(s).
o Demonstrates an above-average likelihood of
achieving the proposal’s outcomes.
2E. Project Timeline
(Must receive at least 6
out of the possible 10
points to satisfy the
minimum threshold)
o Timeline for achieving milestones and outcomes is
realistic and aligns with the project period.
2F. Centering People
(Must receive at least 16
out of the possible 20
points)
o The proposal is compliant with all core components
of Housing First law detailed in WIC section 8255(b).
o Uses well-informed analyses or the perspectives of
people with lived experience of homelessness to
inform the proposal’s decisions, processes, and
actions, which should advance the wellbeing of
people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in
the identified encampment.
o Provides trauma informed services and supports,
operationalizes harm reduction, and centers an
individual’s choice and preferences.
18 3A. Core Service
Delivery and Housing
Strategies
(Must receive at least 11
out of the possible 15
points)
o Includes a comprehensive outreach and
engagement strategy, including case management
and service coordination for people currently
residing in the encampment.
o Identifies interim and permanent housing options
and includes a description of how many individuals
are projected to be served with each interim and
permanent housing solution.
o Identifies homeless shelters funded by this
proposal and demonstrates compliance with
Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and HSC sections 17974–
17974.6, including adherence to inspection,
correction, and reporting requirements and
documentation of any violations and corrective
actions taken.
o Includes compelling evidence of an applicant’s
demonstrated ability and commitment to deliver
permanent housing for people residing in the
prioritized encampment. Compelling evidence may
include identification, creation, availability, and
prioritization of permanent housing resources as
well as examples of prior successes in permanently
housing people experiencing homelessness.
o Describes how the proposed service delivery model
is tailored to meet the needs and preferences of the
people residing in the encampment site.
o Uses data and input from people with lived
experience of homelessness to inform housing and
service needs, preferences, and the availability of
resources to meet those needs and preferences.
o Details strategies likely to prevent displacement
from the prioritized encampment to another
unsheltered location and to prevent returns to
unsheltered homelessness.
o Details operable plans to support individuals with
the storage of their property and care of their pets,
while living in the encampment as well as after they
have moved into interim or permanent housing.
19 3B. Budget and
Resource Plan
(Must receive at least 10
out of the possible 15
points)
o Demonstrates a sustainable, prudent, and effective
use of requested funding.
o Budget aligns with achieving the proposal's
outcomes, services and housing options, and
number of people served.
o Identifies non-ERF Round 5 resources that will be
leveraged to support proposal implementation,
including coordination of resources from other
systems that would increase services and housing
options. This includes prior ERF awards and other
federal, state, and local funding sources.
* Applications will be evaluated with the
understanding that communities vary significantly
with respect to the current availability of other
funding sources that can be leveraged for their
proposed projects and to sustain the projects
beyond the grant term. In the absence of currently
available resources, applicants are encouraged to
provide a specific plan for obtaining the funding
necessary to sustain their project beyond the grant
term if the project is intended to continue.
3C. Key Entities and
Staff
(Must receive at least 10
out of the possible 15
points)
o Includes a detailed description of the lead entity
that will oversee the implementation of activities in
the proposal. Describes the lead entity’s mission,
goals, values, geographic service area, and
existing efforts related to serving persons living in
encampments.
o Demonstrates the ability to recruit and deploy
personnel with experience and expertise needed to
support the success of the proposal.
o Demonstrates commitment to cross-systems
collaboration with descriptions of key contributions
of each organization and local community partners,
including their experience and expertise in serving
persons experiencing unsheltered homelessness
with a range of service needs.
20 o Demonstrates collaboration between Local
Jurisdiction(s) and the CoC for this proposal.
o Demonstrates capacity to carry out the proposal.
o Identifies the primary parties with rights to and/or
control of the property upon which the
encampment resides and their shared
understanding of and commitment to the
implementation of the proposal.
o If the encampment is on a SROW, the proposal
describes how the applicant collaborated with
Caltrans on the program design, implementation
plan, and projected timeline.
3. Phase 3 – Evaluation and Award Determination
HCD will review and score applications using the ERF Round 5 Scoring Matrix.
Each application will be scored by a panel of HCD staff, and an average score will be calculated. To be eligible for funding, applications must meet the minimum scoring threshold in every section listed in the matrix. Awards will be made to the highest scoring applications until all funds are awarded. Pursuant to HSC section 50252.1(b), HCD “shall award additional funding round moneys first to fund projects from prior funding rounds that…[HCD] determined satisfied applicable program requirements but were not funded in the prior round.” In accordance with HSC section 50252.1(c)(5), funding shall be prioritized for both of the following:
• Applications that demonstrate cross-systems collaboration, including collaborations with state and federal entities, and innovative efforts to resolve encampment issues, while focusing on protecting the health and well-being of the individuals living in those encampments. • Applications that represent the diversity of communities across the state, including, but not limited to, rural, urban, and suburban communities.
Furthermore, up to 50 percent of the available funds will be prioritized for awards that address encampments on SROW.
Applications that failed to meet any section of the application will not be eligible for award, but those applicants will be invited by HCD to reapply in future rounds.
21 V. Award and Funds Disbursement
After the application window has closed and all applications received during the window have been reviewed and scored, HCD will make awards. Award letters will be sent by email to the awardees, and an awards listing and the approved applications will be posted on HCD’s ERF website.
Once awards have been determined by HCD, a Standard Agreement will be prepared and sent to the awardee. The awardee will return the signed Standard Agreement.
Funds will be disbursed to the awardee upon receipt, review, and approval of the complete Standard Agreement by HCD. Grant funds will be disbursed via mailed check. Checks will be mailed to the address listed on the taxpayer ID Form.
Applications that are denied funding will be provided with evaluation panel feedback.
Applicants are encouraged to incorporate this feedback and reapply in the next available application window.
Appeals
Pursuant to HSC section 50251(c)(1), HCD’s decision to approve or deny an application and the determination of the amount of funding to be provided shall be final and is not subject to appeal.
VI. MONITORING, DOCUMENTATION, AND REPORTING
A. Reporting
1. Quarterly Reports
The grantee shall submit quarterly reports to HCD with fiscal and programmatic data reflecting the progress of their ERF Round 5 award in a format provided by HCD.
2. Annual Reports and Final Report
Per HSC section 50254.5(b)(5), grantees are required to submit an annual report in a format determined by HCD, including detailed uses of the program funds. Annual reports are due every April 1 reporting on activity throughout the prior calendar year.
Pursuant to HSC section 50254.5(b)(6), grantees are required to submit a final report no later than April 1 of the year following the 100 percent expenditure deadline. This report should include detailed uses of the program funds and the following data elements:
a. The number of homeless individuals served using the program funds in that year.
22 b. The total number of individuals served in all years of the program, as well as the homeless population served.
c. Aggregate outcome data for individuals served using program funds, including all the following:
• The type of housing that the individuals exited to from the encampment, including whether the housing is permanent or interim.
• The percentage of successful housing exits.
• Exit types for unsuccessful housing exits.
d. The eligible uses and expenditures of awarded program funds. e. The number and size of the encampments addressed.
f. The number of encampments that the grantee has resolved. g. The types of housing assistance provided, including, but not limited to, permanent or interim housing, broken out by the number of individuals served.
As required by HSC section 50254.5(c), HCD will post the annual and final reports to its website within 30 days of receipt and provide notice to the appropriate policy and budget committees.
Grantees may also receive ad hoc requests for information from HCD or its contractors in support of program monitoring, research, and evaluation.
Grantees with projects on SROW may also be required to provide programmatic data to Caltrans.
At the end of the grant period, or upon request by HCD, all grantees shall provide information and products developed with grant funds on service delivery models, including any materials that may be necessary to study the program or replicate it for implementation across the state.
B. Application Amendments
Once an application is submitted and approved, no substantive changes to the program design are allowed unless the grantee submits a modification request explaining the impacts of the program design change, and HCD provides written approval in advance to the grantee to proceed. If enforcement action is taken or the encampment is otherwise disbursed, the grantee must notify HCD immediately.
C. Fiscal Deadlines
1. Expenditure Requirement
23 Pursuant to HSC section 50253(e)(1) and (2), ERF Round 5 grantees must expend at least 50 percent and obligate 100 percent of their allocation within two years from the date of the award.
Per HSC section 50253(e)(5), all program funds must be fully expended within four years from the date of award. Any funds not expended by this deadline shall revert to the fund of origin and may no longer be available for use by the recipient.
2. Corrective Action Plan
Pursuant to HSC section 50253(e)(3), any ERF Round 5 grantee that fails to meet the 100 percent obligation requirement within two years shall be required to submit a corrective action plan to HCD within 60 days after the close of the second year. This plan must outline a strategy to fully obligate all funds within six months of submission. Per HSC section 50253(e)(4), HCD “may subject recipients that do not meet [the 100 percent obligation requirement in HSC section 50253(e)(2)] to additional corrective action.”
D. Other Requirements
1. Reporting into Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Pursuant to HSC section 50254, ERF Round 5 grantees and their subcontractors must report client data into their local Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS), and that data must be shared quarterly with the statewide Homeless Data Integration System (HDIS).
Grantees must ensure proper recording of activities associated with these program funds. This is intended to efficiently capture many of the non-fiscal reporting responsibilities required under HSC section 50254.
HCD will make efforts to use the statewide HDIS data provided by grantees to fulfill grantee reporting requirements under HSC section 50254; however, improper reporting into that system may require HCD to seek the following additional information directly from grantees:
• The total number of individuals, as well as homeless individuals, served in each year of the program and for the program overall.
• Aggregate outcome data for individuals served using program funds, including all of the following:
o The type of housing that the individuals exited to from the encampment, including whether the housing is permanent or interim.
o The percentage of successful housing exits.
o Exit types for unsuccessful housing exits.
24 • The types of housing assistance provided, including, but not limited to, permanent or interim housing, broken out by the number of individuals served.
Grantees should set up HMIS projects consistent with how the encampment(s) and the proposed interventions were described in their ERF Round 5 applications. For the purpose of HMIS project setup and ERF reporting, multiple sites that share the same needs, resources, and housing strategies can be considered a single encampment. If a grantee is serving an area that includes sites that have different needs and are served by different strategies and interventions, those should be considered separate encampments and set up as separate HMIS projects.
Grantees may also be required to accept training and technical assistance in this area if their HMIS/HDIS data is not properly tracked and shared.
2. Housing First Requirement
All ERF Round 5 grantees must comply with the core components of Housing First as provided in Chapter 6.5 (commencing with Section 8255) of Division 8 of the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC). See Appendix E for the Housing First statute listing all core components in HSC section 8255(b)(1)-(11) . For more information on Housing First, please refer to the Cal ICH Guide to California’s Housing First Law.
Housing First is an evidence-based, client-centered approach that recognizes housing as necessary to make other voluntary life changes, such as seeking treatment or medical care. This approach is in contrast with the traditional model of rewarding “housing readiness.” The goal of Housing First is to provide housing to individuals and families quickly with as few obstacles as possible, along with voluntary support services according to their needs.
3. Annual Reporting on Homeless Shelter Inspections
Chapter 22, Statutes of 2025 (AB 130), sections 33-36 added HSC sections 17974-17974.6 related to homeless shelter inspection and reporting requirements. See Appendix F. ERF Round 5 grantees and their subcontractors that operate or fund homeless shelters must comply with all inspection, reporting, and corrective action requirements as detailed in HCD’s Information Bulletin 2025-02.
Although all homeless shelters are subject to the AB 130 inspection and reporting requirements, for the purpose of this NOFA, ERF Round 5 grantees shall ensure that all homeless shelters receiving ERF Round 5 funds are subject to local annual inspections, that any identified violations are corrected within the timeframes prescribed by HSC section 17974.2(b), and that documentation of compliance is maintained and made available upon request.
25 In accordance with HSC section 17974.5, each city and county must report annually by April 1 to HCD all the following information:
a. The number of complaints received by the jurisdiction, pursuant to HSC section 17920.3, including if the jurisdiction did not receive any complaints.
b. Any pending uncorrected violations determined by the jurisdiction, pursuant to HSC section 17974.1. This should include, as applicable, the date the violation notice was provided to the owner/operator, the name of the owner or operator, the name of the homeless shelter, and the address of the homeless shelter.
c. Any determinations by the jurisdiction that conditions exist or existed that make or made the homeless shelter dangerous, hazardous, imminently detrimental to life or health, or otherwise render the homeless shelter unfit for human habitation. This should include, as applicable, the date the violation notice was provided to the owner/operator, the name of the owner or operator, the name of the homeless shelter, and the address of the homeless shelter.
d. A list of any emergency orders issued pursuant to HSC section 17974.1(c)(3).
e. A list of any owners or operators who received three or more violations within any six-month period.
f. A list of corrected violations from the prior year. This should include, as applicable, the date the violation notice was provided to the owner/operator, the name of the owner or operator, the name of the homeless shelter, the address of the homeless shelter, and the date the violation was corrected.
Grantees must restrict ERF Round 5 funding for operations to shelters with unresolved violations as detailed in HSC section 17974.4; however, grantees may still permit the use of state funding if being used to address violations.
Additionally, HCD may restrict state funding for operations to shelters with unresolved violations. HCD may deem the owner or operator of a shelter ineligible for state funding for shelter operations for unresolved violation(s) noted in the annual report. The use of state funding may still be permissible if being used to address violations.
Jurisdictions that fail to submit annual reports pursuant to the AB 130 shelter inspection and reporting requirement or take required actions to correct a violation cannot receive state funding. HCD may deem those jurisdictions eligible again to receive funds after the jurisdiction complies with both the annual reporting requirement by submitting an annual report to HCD and the requirement to take action to correct all homeless shelter violations.
26 Pursuant to HSC section 17974.3, HCD may take action to enforce the requirements in division 13, part 1.5, chapter 5, Article 2.3 (Inspection of Homeless Shelters), pursuant to the California Code of Civil Procedure section 1085, and HCD may be entitled to recover reasonable attorney fees and costs.
4. Legal Documents
Upon the award of ERF Round 5 funds, HCD shall enter into Standard Agreements with grantees that govern how ERF Round 5 funds must be spent.
These agreements shall ensure adherence to the objectives and requirements of the ERF Round 5 program and compliance with all relevant laws. No award shall be disbursed until the Standard Agreement is signed by both the grantee and HCD and is fully executed.
5. Public Records Act Requests
Applicants are hereby informed that all documents and correspondence related to their ERF Round 5 application are subject to Public Records Act (PRA) requests.
VII. RESOURCES AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Additional information, including the ERF Program Guidance, can be found on HCD’s ERF website: Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) Program | California Department of Housing and Community Development
If you have questions, please direct them to the HCD Homelessness Grants inbox at [email protected].
27 VIII. APPENDICES
Appendix A: ERF Statute
Health and Safety Code (HSC)
CHAPTER 7. Encampment Resolution Funding Program [50250 - 50254.5] 50250.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Additional funding round moneys” means moneys appropriated for the program in or after fiscal year 2022–23.
(b) “Agency” means the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. (c) “Applicant” means a continuum of care or local jurisdiction (d) “Continuum of care” has the same meaning as in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(e) (1) Subject to paragraph (2), “council,” unless context requires otherwise, means the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, previously known as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council created pursuant to Section 8257 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(2) Unless context requires otherwise, “council,” with respect to the administration of this chapter on or after the effective date of the act adding this paragraph, means the department.
(f) “County” includes, but is not limited to, a city and county. (g) “Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development. (h) “Funding round 1 moneys” means moneys appropriated for the program in fiscal year 2021–22.
(i) “Homeless” has the same meaning as in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(j) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, including a charter city, a county, including a charter county, or a city and county, including a charter city and county. (k) “Program” means the Encampment Resolution Funding program established pursuant to this chapter.
(l) “Recipient” means an applicant that receives grant funds from the council for the purposes of the program.
(m) “State right-of-way” means real property held in title by the State of California. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 48, Sec. 14. (AB 166) Effective July 2, 2024.) 50251.
(a) The Encampment Resolution Funding program is hereby established to, upon appropriation by the Legislature, increase collaboration between the council, local jurisdictions, and continuums of care for the following purposes:
(1) Assist local jurisdictions in ensuring the safety and wellness of people experiencing homelessness in encampments.
28 (2) Provide encampment resolution grants to local jurisdictions and continuums of care to resolve critical encampment concerns and transition individuals into safe and stable housing.
(3) Encourage a data-informed, coordinated approach to address encampment concerns.
(b) (1) The council shall administer the program.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the council may consult with and designate a state agency or department to support the administration of the program. (c) (1) The council’s decision to approve or deny an application and the determination of the amount of funding to be provided shall be final and not subject to appeal. (2) In determining which applications to approve, the council shall evaluate and score proposals based on all of the following criteria:
(A) The applicant’s capacity to carry out the proposal. (B) Whether the site selected for services aligns with the proposed service delivery model.
(C) Whether the demographics and needs of service recipients align with the proposed service delivery model.
(D) The applicant’s ability to develop a detailed service delivery plan, including a description of how individuals will be served with permanent housing solutions. (E) The applicant’s ability to coordinate with other systems to increase services and housing options.
(F) The applicant’s capacity to involve people with lived experience and local community partners in the implementation of its project. (G) The applicant’s ability to recruit and deploy personnel with experience and expertise needed to support the success of their proposal. (H) The applicant’s ability to demonstrate a prudent and effective use of requested funding relative to the number of people it seeks to serve and the types of services to be provided in the proposal.
(d) The council shall maintain records of the following:
(1) The number of applications for program grants received by the council. (2) The number of applications for program grants denied by the council. (3) The name of each recipient of a program grant.
(4) The amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
(e) The council may adopt regulations to implement this chapter. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of a regulation authorized by this subdivision is hereby exempted from the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act 29 (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 70, Sec. 4. (SB 197) Effective June 30, 2022.) 50252.
(a) The council shall distribute funding round 1 moneys in accordance with this chapter. (b) Except as specified in subdivision (e), the council shall award the moneys appropriated as competitive grants to applicants to be used to support encampment resolution and rehousing efforts for local jurisdictions. Council staff shall develop and disseminate encampment resolution strategies, case studies, and learnings to local jurisdictions.
(c) Applicants may submit an application for a program grant to the council in a form and manner specified by the council. The application shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) Information on the number and demographics of the individuals living in the encampment that the applicant is requesting funding to help resolve. (2) A description of why this specific encampment is being prioritized for resolution support.
(3) A description of how the applicant intends to collaborate with state and local partners to mitigate risk and address safety concerns, while ensuring a pathway for individuals living in encampments to move into safe and stable housing. (4) A description of how the applicant intends to use these funds to connect all individuals living in the encampment to services and housing. (5) A description of other local resources and funding streams that will be used to ensure the ongoing availability of services and housing support for people who are moved out of encampments into permanent housing.
(d) When determining grant awards, funding shall be prioritized for:
(1) Jurisdictions that can demonstrate a commitment to cross-systems collaboration and innovative efforts to resolve encampment issues, while focusing on protecting the health and well-being of the individuals living in those encampments. (2) Jurisdictions that have 50 or more individuals living in the encampment that they are seeking to support with these funds.
(3) The intent of the council is to award grants, to the extent feasible, to a range of applicants that represent the diversity of communities across the state, including rural, urban, and suburban communities.
(e) Of the moneys available pursuant to subdivision (a), the council may expend up to 5 percent for administration of the program.
(f) This section only applies to funding round 1 moneys and does not apply to additional funding round moneys.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 70, Sec. 5. (SB 197) Effective June 30, 2022.)
30 50252.1.
(a) This section only applies to additional funding round moneys and does not apply to funding round 1 moneys.
(b) The council shall award additional funding round moneys first to fund projects from prior funding rounds that the council determined satisfied applicable program requirements but were not funded in the prior round.
(c) (1) Any funds remaining after the awards required by subdivision (b) shall be awarded on a rolling basis in accordance with this subdivision. (2) The council shall begin accepting new applications for a program grant by five months after the appropriation in the given fiscal year is made. (3) The council shall cease accepting new applications for a program grant by the earlier of the end of the fiscal year in which the appropriation is made or the date the funds from the appropriation have been expended.
(4) Applicants shall submit an application for a program grant to the council in a form and manner specified by the council. The application shall include, at a minimum, all of the following:
(A) Information on the number and demographics of the individuals living in the encampment that the applicant is requesting funding to help resolve. (B) A description of why the specific encampment is being prioritized for resolution support.
(C) A description of how the applicant intends to collaborate with state and local partners to mitigate risk and address safety concerns while ensuring a pathway for individuals living in encampments to move into safe and stable housing. (D) A description of how the applicant intends to use these funds to connect all individuals living in the encampment to services and housing. When an application includes operating safe parking sites while locating interim or permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness living in vehicles or recreational vehicles, a description of how the applicant intends to acquire sites for safe parking, operate the site, provide services at the safe parking site, and increase safe parking site hours.
(E) A description of other local resources and funding streams that will be used to ensure the ongoing availability of services and housing support for people who are moved out of encampments into permanent housing.
(F) A goal for the number of individuals the program will support transitioning from encampments into temporary shelters.
(G) A goal for the number of individuals the program will support transitioning from encampments into permanent housing.
(5) In awarding grants, funding shall be prioritized for both of the following:
(A) Jurisdictions that can demonstrate a commitment to cross-systems collaboration, including collaborations with state entities, and innovative efforts to 31 resolve encampment issues, while focusing on protecting the health and well- being of the individuals living in those encampments.
(B) Applicants that represent the diversity of communities across the state, including, but not limited to, rural, urban, and suburban communities. (d) The council may do any of the following:
(1) Monitor grantee performance.
(2) Require a grantee not meeting goals to accept technical assistance from the council.
(3) Limit the allowable uses of program funds for a grantee that is not meeting goals. (e) The council may use up to 5 percent of money appropriated in a given fiscal year for administration of the program, including capacity building and technical assistance activities in support of program goals.
(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 524, Sec. 2. (SB 748) Effective October 10, 2025.) 50253.
(a) The council shall administer the funding round 1 moneys of the program in accordance with the following timelines:
(1) The council shall make a program application available no later than October 31, 2021.
(2) Applications shall be due to the council no later than December 31, 2021. (3) The council shall make initial award determinations no later than March 1, 2022. (4) If not all funds have been awarded after the first round of grant awards, the council may accept additional applications and make additional awards until all funds have been allocated.
(b) Recipients of funding round 1 moneys shall expend at least 50 percent of their allocation by June 30, 2023.
(1) Recipients who fail to expend their allocated funds in compliance with this subdivision shall return to the council no less than 25 percent of their total allocation amount for reallocation by the council during subsequent rounds of funding. (c) Recipients of funding round 1 moneys shall expend all program funds no later than June 30, 2024. Any funds not expended by this date shall be returned to the council to be reallocated pursuant to Section 50252.1.
(d) (1) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 50252.1 shall expend at least 50 percent of their allocation within two fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature. Any funds not expended by this date shall be returned to the council and reallocated pursuant to Section 50252.1. (2) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 50252.1 shall obligate 100 percent of their allocation within two fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature.
32 (3) Recipients that do not meet requirement in paragraph (2) shall submit to the council within 60 days of the end of the second fiscal year a plan for obligating 100 percent of their allocation within six months.
(4) The council may subject recipients that do not meet the requirement in paragraph (2) to additional corrective action determined by the council. (5) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 50252.1 shall expend all program funds within three fiscal years of the appropriation. Any funds not expended by this date shall revert to the fund of origin. (e) (1) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 50252.1 shall expend at least 50 percent of their allocation within two fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature.
(2) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 50252.1 shall obligate 100 percent of their allocation within two fiscal years of the appropriation from the Legislature.
(3) Recipients that do not meet the requirement in paragraph (2) shall submit to the council within 60 days of the end of the second fiscal year a plan for obligating 100 percent of their allocation within six months.
(4) The council may subject recipients that do not meet the requirement in paragraph (2) to additional corrective action determined by the council. (5) Recipients of additional funding round moneys pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 50252.1 shall expend all program funds within four fiscal years of the appropriation. Any funds not expended by this date shall revert to the fund of origin. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 47. (AB 130) Effective June 30, 2025.) 50254.
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, all recipients of funds pursuant to this chapter shall provide data elements, including, but not limited to, health information, in a manner consistent with state and federal law, to their local Homeless Management Information System for tracking in the statewide Homeless Data Integration System. (b) (1) The council shall specify the form and substance of the required data elements. (2) The council may, as required by operational necessity, amend or modify data elements, disclosure formats, or disclosure frequency.
(3) Grantees shall report individual, client-level data for persons served by grant funding to the council, in addition to any data reported through local Homeless Management Information System, as required by the council for the purposes of research and evaluation of grant performance, service pathways, and outcomes for people served.
33 (4) Council staff may use information reported directly from grantees and through statewide Homeless Data Integration System for the purposes of research and evaluation of grant performance, service pathways, and outcomes for people served. (c) Any health information or personal identifying information provided to or maintained within the statewide Homeless Data Integration System pursuant to this section shall not be subject to public inspection or disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code). (d) For purposes of this paragraph, “health information” includes “protected health information,” as defined in Part 160.103 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and “medical information,” as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 56.05 of the Civil Code.
(e) All recipients shall provide information and products developed with grant funds on service delivery models in support of the overall program goal to mitigate risk and address safety concerns in encampments, while ensuring a pathway for individuals living in encampments to move into safe and stable housing, in a format and timeframe specified by the council.
(f) The council Legislative Analyst’s Office shall evaluate the data and outcomes reported by recipients to the council pursuant to subdivision (g) to assess efficacy of programs and identify scalable best practices for encampment resolution that can be replicated across the state.
(g)(1) The department shall, in its annual report submitted pursuant to Section 50408, report a summary of the data elements described in paragraph (6) of subdivision (b) of Section 50254.5, disaggregated by funding round.
(2) The requirement of submitting data imposed under paragraph (1) is inoperative after the department publishes the final report covering the final round of program funds.
(h) Contracts entered into to implement this chapter shall be exempt from all of the following:
(1) Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 14825) of Part 5.5 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(2) The personal services contracting requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 19130) of Chapter 5 of Part 2 of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(3) Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and the State Contracting Manual.
34 (4) Notwithstanding Section 11546 of the Government Code, from review or approval of any division of the Department of Technology, upon approval from the Department of Finance.
(5) From the review or approval of any division of the Department of General Services.
(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 524, Sec. 3. (SB 748) Effective October 10, 2025.)
50254.5.
(a) (1) For funding appropriated in fiscal years 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 for purposes of this chapter, no later than April 1 of the year following the expiration of the encumbrance period of funds, each recipient that receives a program allocation shall submit to the department a final report pursuant to Section 50254. (2) Beginning April 1, 2025, and ending the April prior to the appropriation’s encumbrance period expiration, each recipient that receives a program allocation shall submit to the department an annual report in a format determined by the department as well as detailed uses of the program funds. (b) For funding appropriated in fiscal years 2024–25 and 2025–26 for purposes of this chapter, the following provisions apply:
(1) Notwithstanding any other law, all recipients of funds pursuant to this chapter shall provide data elements, including, but not limited to, health information, in a manner consistent with state and federal law, to their local Homeless Management Information System for tracking in the statewide Homeless Data Integration System. (2) (A) The department shall specify the form and substance of the required data elements.
(B) The department may, as required by operational necessity, amend or modify data elements, disclosure formats, or disclosure frequency. (C) Grantees shall report individual, client-level data for persons served by grant funding to the department, in addition to any data reported through local Homeless Management Information Systems, as required by the department for purposes of research and evaluation of grant performance, service pathways, and outcomes for people served.
(D) Department staff may use information reported directly from grantees and through the statewide Homeless Data Integration System for the purposes of research and evaluation of grant performance, service pathways, and outcomes for people served.
35 (3) Any health information or personal identifying information provided to or maintained within the statewide Homeless Data Integration System pursuant to this section shall not be subject to public inspection or disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code). For purposes of this paragraph, “health information” includes “protected health information,” as defined in Section 160.103 of Title 45 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and “medical information,” as defined in subdivision (j) of Section 56.05 of the Civil Code.
(4) All recipients shall provide information and products developed with grant funds on service delivery models in support of the overall program goal to mitigate risk and address safety concerns in encampments, while ensuring a pathway for individuals living in encampments to move into safe and stable housing, in a format and timeframe specified by the department.
(5) Beginning April 1, 2026, and ending the April prior to the appropriation’s encumbrance period expiration, each recipient that receives a program allocation shall submit to the department an annual report in a format determined by the department as well as detailed uses of the program funds. (6) No later than April 1 of the year following the expiration of the encumbrance period of funds, each recipient that receives a program allocation shall also submit to the department a final report in a format determined by the department as well as detailed uses of the program funds. Each grantee shall provide either through their local Homeless Management Information System or alternative format determined by the department all of the following data elements as part of the final report:
(A) The number of homeless individuals served using the program funds in that year.
(B) The total number of individuals served in all years of the program, as well the homeless population served.
(C) Aggregate outcome data for individuals served using program funds, including all of the following:
(i) The type of housing that the individuals exited to from the encampment, including whether the housing is permanent or interim.
(ii) The percentage of successful housing exits.
(iii) Exit types for unsuccessful housing exits.
(D) The eligible uses and expenditures of awarded program funds. (E) The number and size of the encampment addressed.
36 (F) The number of encampments that the grantee has resolved. (G) The types of housing assistance provided, including, but not limited to, permanent or interim housing, broken out by the number of individuals served. (c) The department shall post the annual reports and final reports submitted pursuant to this section on its internet website within 30 days of receipt and provide notice to the appropriate policy and budget committees.
(Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 48, Sec. 15. (AB 166) Effective July 2, 2024.)
37 Appendix B: ERF Round 5 Authorizing Legislation
AB 102: The Budget Act of 2025
SEC. 86. Item 2240-120-0001 is added to Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2025, to read:
2240-120-0001—For local assistance, Department of Housing and Community Development, 100,000,000
Schedule:
(1) 1670-Housing Policy Development Program,100,000,000
Provisions:
1. The amount appropriated in this item is available to provide grants to address encampments for persons experiencing homelessness, in accordance with applicable laws. Of the amount appropriated in this item, up to 5 percent shall be allocated to the Department of Housing and Community Development to fund the support and administration of resolving critical encampments and transition individuals into permanent housing. The amount appropriated in this item and any amount allocated to the Department of Housing and Community Development shall be available for encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2030.
2. Of the amount appropriated in this item, up to 50 percent of the funds shall be reserved for local jurisdictions with projects that address encampments on state rights-of-way, as defined in Section 50250 of the Health and Safety Code, and that meet priority criteria established by the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with the Department of Transportation. Upon a date specified by the Department of Housing and Community Development, if a local jurisdiction that is eligible for funding pursuant to this provision does not apply to the Department of Housing and Community Development by the date established, the applicable continuum of care in the local jurisdiction’s region shall be eligible for such funds. The department shall administer these funds pursuant to subdivisions (a), (b), (d), and (e) of Section 50251, and Section 50254, of the Health and Safety Code.
(Added by Stats. 2025, Ch.5, Sec. 86. (AB 102) Effective June 27, 2025.)
38 Appendix C: Definitions
The following terms are defined in accordance with HSC section 50250:
(a) “Additional funding round moneys” means moneys appropriated for the program in or after fiscal year 2022–23.
(b) “Agency” means the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. (c) “Applicant” means a continuum of care or local jurisdiction (d) “Continuum of care” has the same meaning as in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(e) “Council” means the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, previously known as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council created pursuant to Section 8257 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(f) “County” includes, but is not limited to, a city and county. (g) “Funding round 1 moneys” means moneys appropriated for the program in fiscal year 2021–22.
(h) “Homeless” has the same meaning as in Section 578.3 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(i) “Local jurisdiction” means a city, including a charter city, a county, including a charter county, or a city and county, including a charter city and county. (j) “Program” means the Encampment Resolution Funding program established pursuant to this chapter.
(k) “Recipient” means an applicant that receives grant funds from the Department for the purposes of the program.
(l) “State right of way” means real property held in title by the State of California.
(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 70, Sec. 3. (SB 197) Effective June 30, 2022.)
Additional Definitions for the purposes of this NOFA:
(m)“Authorized Representative” should be the individual with authority to contract on behalf of the awardee.
(n) “Expend” means all ERF Round 5 funds obligated under contract or subcontract have been fully paid and receipted, and no invoices remain outstanding. (o) “Obligate” means that the grantee has placed orders, awarded contracts, received services, or entered into similar transactions that require payment using ERF Round 5 funding.
39 Appendix D: California Interagency Council on Homelessness Guidance on Addressing Encampments
Below is a list of the seven components included in the Cal ICH Guidance on Addressing Encampments. Applicants may use this as a checklist to verify whether their policy or ordinance complies with state guidance, or as a template to adopt an encampment policy that complies with state guidance.
1. Employ person-centered, Housing First, and trauma-informed approaches when addressing the needs of person living in encampments on public property.
2. Maintain awareness of interim housing capacity, including congregate and noncongregate shelter (i.e., motel vouchers), that is immediately available to serve persons in the encampment in question.
3. Provide respectful/reasonable treatment of property from the encampment, including collecting, labeling, and storing personal property from the encampment (unless it is a health or safety hazard).
4. Provide notice to encampment residents:
a. Provide as much advance notice to vacate as possible. For non-urgent situations, a notice to vacate must be posted at least 48 hours before removal.
b. Include the following information in the notice: 1) Date and time of the removal actions, 2) Information on services that are immediately available to persons living in the encampment, and 3) Information on how unattended belongings will be handled the day of the removal action, including what will be stored and how they can be recovered.
5. Maintain awareness of efforts serving the encampment in question and encampments broadly.
6. Make every effort to identify and offer shelter including interim housing or motel vouchers to persons living in an encampment before taking action to remove an encampment. If shelter cannot be secured prior to removal despite these efforts, confirm there are reasonably accessible locations within the jurisdiction where a person may lawfully sleep.
7. Prioritize health and safety in assessing encampments, and where appropriate address hazards prior to or independent from any removing operation.
40 Appendix E: Housing First Statute
Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC)
DIVISION 8. MISCELLANEOUS [8050 - 8266]
(Division 8 repealed and added by Stats. 1967, Ch. 1667.) CHAPTER 6.5. Housing First and Coordinating Council [8255 - 8257.3] (Chapter 6.5 added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 847, Sec. 2.)
8255.
For purposes of this chapter:
(a) “Council” means the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, formerly known as the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council established pursuant to Section 8257.
(b) “Core components of Housing First” means all of the following:
(1) Tenant screening and selection practices that promote accepting applicants regardless of their sobriety or use of substances, completion of treatment, or participation in services.
(2) Applicants are not rejected on the basis of poor credit or financial history, poor or lack of rental history, criminal convictions unrelated to tenancy, or behaviors that indicate a lack of “housing readiness.”
(3) Acceptance of referrals directly from shelters, street outreach, drop-in centers, and other parts of crisis response systems frequented by vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.
(4) Supportive services that emphasize engagement and problem solving over therapeutic goals and service plans that are highly tenant-driven without predetermined goals.
(5) Participation in services or program compliance is not a condition of permanent housing tenancy.
(6) Tenants have a lease and all the rights and responsibilities of tenancy, as outlined in California’s Civil, Health and Safety, and Government codes. (7) The use of alcohol or drugs in and of itself, without other lease violations, is not a reason for eviction.
(8) In communities with coordinated assessment and entry systems, incentives for funding promote tenant selection plans for supportive housing that prioritize eligible tenants based on criteria other than “first-come-first-serve,” including, but not limited 41 to, the duration or chronicity of homelessness, vulnerability to early mortality, or high utilization of crisis services. Prioritization may include triage tools, developed through local data, to identify high-cost, high-need homeless residents. (9) Case managers and service coordinators who are trained in and actively employ evidence-based practices for client engagement, including, but not limited to, motivational interviewing and client-centered counseling. (10) Services are informed by a harm-reduction philosophy that recognizes drug and alcohol use and addiction as a part of tenants’ lives, where tenants are engaged in nonjudgmental communication regarding drug and alcohol use, and where tenants are offered education regarding how to avoid risky behaviors and engage in safer practices, as well as connected to evidence-based treatment if the tenant so chooses.
(11) The project and specific apartment may include special physical features that accommodate disabilities, reduce harm, and promote health and community and independence among tenants.
(c) “Homeless” has the same definition as that term is defined in Section 91.5 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(d) (1) “Housing First” means the evidence-based model that uses housing as a tool, rather than a reward, for recovery and that centers on providing or connecting homeless people to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Housing First providers offer services as needed and requested on a voluntary basis and that do not make housing contingent on participation in services. (2) (A) “Housing First” includes time-limited rental or services assistance, so long as the housing and service provider assists the recipient in accessing permanent housing and in securing longer term rental assistance, income assistance, or employment.
(B) For time-limited, supportive services programs serving homeless youth, programs should use a positive youth development model and be culturally competent to serve unaccompanied youth under 25 years of age. Providers should work with the youth to engage in family reunification efforts, where appropriate and when in the best interest of the youth. In the event of an eviction, programs shall make every effort, which shall be documented, to link tenants to other stable, safe, decent housing options. Exit to homelessness should be extremely rare, and only after a tenant refuses assistance with housing search, location, and move-in assistance.
(e) “State programs” means any programs a California state agency or department funds, implements, or administers for the purpose of providing emergency shelter, 42 interim housing, housing, or housing-based services to people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, with the exception of federally funded programs with requirements inconsistent with this chapter. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 297, Sec. 5. (SB 1395) Effective January 1, 2025.)
43 Appendix F: Inspection of Homeless Shelters Statute
Health and Safety Code (HSC)
CHAPTER 5. Administration and Enforcement [17960 – 17998.3] ARTICLE 2.3 Inspection of Homeless Shelters [17974 – 17974.6]
17974.
For purposes of this article:
(a) “Department” means the Department of Housing and Community Development. (b) (1) “Homeless shelter” means any of the following:
(A) An emergency shelter, as defined in Section 576.2 of Title 24 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(B) An emergency shelter, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 50801. (C) A navigation center, as defined in Section 50216.
(2) “Homeless shelter” does not include emergency shelters that are funded by the program commonly referred to as Project Roomkey administered by the State Department of Social Services.
(c) “Local agency” means any city, including a charter city, county, or city and county. (d) “State agency” means the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. (e) “State funding” means any grant, loan, or other type of financial assistance awarded to a homeless shelter on or after July 1, 2021, from the following sources:
(1) The Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 50216) of Part 1 of Division 31). (2) Future one-time state funding for homelessness services. (Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 395, Sec. 1. (AB 362) Effective January 1, 2022.)
17974.1.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a city or county that receives a complaint from an occupant of a homeless shelter, or an agent of an occupant, that alleges a homeless shelter is substandard pursuant to Section 17920.3 shall do all of the following:
(1) Inspect the homeless shelter or portion thereof intended for human occupancy that may be substandard pursuant to Section 17920.3.
(2) Identify whether the homeless shelter or any portion thereof intended for human occupancy is substandard pursuant to Section 17920.3, as applicable. The documentation shall be included in the inspection report described in subdivision (h). (3) As applicable, advise the owner or operator of a homeless shelter of each violation and of each action that is required to be taken to remedy the violation. The city or county shall schedule a reinspection to verify correction of the violations. 44 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, and consistent with Section 17970, a city or county shall perform an annual inspection on every homeless shelter located in its jurisdiction to ensure that the homeless shelter is compliant with this part. A city or county conducting an inspection pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with this section, to the extent those provisions are applicable. (c)(1) If, upon inspection, the city or county determines that a homeless shelter is substandard pursuant to Section 17920.3, the city or county shall promptly, but not later than 10 business days after the city or county completes the inspection, issue a notice to correct the violation to the owner or operator of the homeless shelter. (2) In the event that the city or county determines that a violation constitutes an imminent threat to the health and safety of the occupants of the homeless shelter, the notice of violation shall be issued immediately and served on the owner or operator of the homeless shelter.
(3) In the event that the city or county determines that deficiencies, violations, or conditions exist at a homeless shelter that are dangerous, hazardous, imminently detrimental to life or health, or otherwise render the homeless shelter unfit for human habitation, the city or county may issue an emergency order directing the owner or operator to take immediate measures to rectify those deficiencies, violations, or conditions.
(d) An inspection conducted pursuant to this section may be announced or unannounced.
(e) The city or county shall maintain all records on file of each homeless shelter inspection. These records shall be made available to the public for inspection. (f) A city or county shall perform an inspection conducted pursuant to subdivision (a) at least as promptly as that city or county conducts an inspection in response to a request for final inspection pursuant to Section 110 of Part 2 of Division 2 of Chapter 1 of the California Building Code (Part 2 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations).
(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a city or county is not required to conduct an inspection in response to either of the following:
(1) A complaint that does not allege one or more substandard conditions. (2) A complaint submitted by a tenant, resident, or occupant who, within the past 180 days, submitted a complaint about the same property that the chief building inspector or their designee reasonably determined, after inspection, was frivolous or unfounded.
(h) A city or county shall provide free, certified copies of an inspection report and citations issued pursuant to this section, if any, to the complaining occupant or their agent. If the inspection reveals a condition potentially affecting multiple occupants, including, but not limited to, conditions relating to the premises, common areas, or structural features, then the city or county shall provide free copies of the inspection report and citations issued to all potentially affected occupants or their agents. (i) A city or county shall not unreasonably refuse to communicate with an occupant or the agent of an occupant regarding any matter covered by this article. 45 (j) A city or county shall conduct an inspection pursuant to this section based on the location of the homeless shelter, in accordance with the following:
(1) A city shall conduct an inspection for shelters within the city’s jurisdiction. (2) A county shall conduct an inspection for shelters within the county’s jurisdiction. (3) A city with a population under 100,000 may partner with its county to conduct an inspection pursuant to this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 33. (AB 130) Effective June 30, 2025.)
17974.1.5.
(a) A homeless shelter shall prominently display at the shelter information about an occupant’s rights and the process for reporting a complaint alleging a homeless shelter is substandard pursuant to Section 17920.3, including the contact information for all of the following:
(1) The owner or operator of the homeless shelter.
(2) The city or county.
(3) The department.
(b) A homeless shelter shall provide in writing the notice specified in subdivision (a) to any new occupant during intake.
(Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 34. (AB 130) Effective June 30, 2025.)
17974.2.
(a) The owner or operator of a homeless shelter shall be responsible for the correction of any violations for which a notice of violation has been given under this article. (b) An owner or operator of a homeless shelter shall correct each violation within 30 days of receipt of the citation. The city or county, in its sole discretion, may grant the owner or operator a 30-day extension to correct a violation. (Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 395, Sec. 1. (AB 362) Effective January 1, 2022.)
17974.3.
(a) The requirements of this article shall not be construed to impose a mandatory duty pursuant to Section 815.6 of the Government Code, and shall not be construed to affect the availability of any immunity otherwise applicable to the city or county or its employees, including, but not limited to, Sections 818.2, 818.4, 818.6, 820.2, 821, 821.2, and 821.4 of the Government Code.
(b) (1) An action to enforce the requirements of this article may be brought pursuant to Section 1085 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(2) A plaintiff who prevails in an action described in paragraph (1) shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
(3) Notwithstanding any other law, including any provision of this part authorizing the department to enforce this part by means of administrative enforcement, the department may bring a civil action pursuant to this subdivision in order to enforce this part.
46 (c) For purposes of Section 1085 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the requirements of this article shall be construed as acts that the law specially enjoins, as a duty resulting from an office, trust, or station.
(Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 35. (AB 130) Effective June 30, 2025.)
17974.4.
(a) In addition to the penalties authorized under Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 17995), an owner or operator of a homeless shelter who fails to meet the timelines to correct a violation under this article, building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating thereto, or any other rules or regulations adopted by the department pursuant to this part, may be liable for a civil penalty in an amount determined by the city or county for each violation or for each day of a continuing violation.
(b) The city or county shall not award or distribute state funding to the owner or operator of a homeless shelter for purposes of operating the shelter, if the city or county determines that any of the following exist:
(1) The owner or operator fails to correct a violation within the time period specified in Section 17974.2.
(2) The owner or operator has failed to correct violations in a timely manner on multiple occasions.
(3) The owner or operator has been cited for a violation that is an imminent threat to the health and safety of the occupants of the homeless shelter and the owner or operator fails to take sufficient action to correct the violation or prevent similar future violations.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 395, Sec. 1. (AB 362) Effective January 1, 2022.)
17974.5.
(a) Each city and each county shall submit a report annually to the department and the state agency by April 1 of each year that includes all of the following information:
(1) The number of complaints received by the city or county, pursuant to Section 17920.3, including if the city or county did not receive any complaints. (2) Any pending uncorrected violations determined by the city or county, pursuant to Section 17974.1.
(3) Any determinations by the city or county that conditions exist or existed that make or made the homeless shelter dangerous, hazardous, imminently detrimental to life or health, or otherwise render the homeless shelter unfit for human habitation. (4) A list of any emergency orders issued pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 17974.1.
(5) A list of any owners or operators who received three or more violations within any six-month period.
(6) Any corrected violations from the prior year.
47 (b) The report submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(c) If a city or county applies for state funding to support the ongoing operations of a homeless shelter, the city or county shall disclose to the state agency that administers the state funding the status of any unresolved violations pursuant to this article and the names of the homeless shelter owner or operator. (d) The department or the state agency, may, pursuant to the reported information in subdivision (b), deem an owner or operator of a shelter ineligible for state funding for shelter operations.
(e) The department shall withhold state funding from a city or county that fails to comply with the reporting requirements in this section or fails to take action to correct a violation of this article by a homeless shelter pursuant to Section 17974.4. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 22, Sec. 36. (AB 130) Effective June 30, 2025.)
17974.6.
The Legislature finds and declares that this article addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, this article applies to all cities, including charter cities.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 395, Sec. 1. (AB 362) Effective January 1, 2022.)